Picturepocket's Blog

Category: Bible

  • Genesis 20: Fear & Infertility 

    Abraham and his family travel southwest across the Negev, a desert, past the place that Hagar went when she ran away to a place called Gerar. Abraham tells the local King Abimelech that Sarah is his sister and so takes her keeps her in his palace. It’s the same deal as in Egypt.  God visits…

  • Genesis 19: Fire & Salt

    The angels that had visited Abraham arrive in Sodom and Lot greets them at the gate of the city. As evening approaches, he invites them to stay at his home instead of the town square. They are there to assess the wickedness of the city and will have an answer within a few hours. That…

  • Genesis 18: The Visitation 

    Abraham saw that the Lord appeared to him by the Oaks of Mamre. There were two angels with him and Abraham ran out to offer them hospitality, including water to wash their feet and inviting them to rest while he brought them food. Then, he went to Sarah and had her bake bread while he…

  • Genesis 17: Covenant 

    When Abram was 99, God spoke to him and repeated his promise to bless Abram with children. Abram fell on his face. God gave him a new name, Abraham, meaning father of multitudes. God says he needs to live blameless in order to receive the blessing. God says kings will come from him and promises…

  • Write Now

    Last summer, while working from home and seeing to the news, and hearing people say, “Jesus says this,” and “Jesus says that” I felt gaslit. Because the Jesus I grew up learning about in Sunday School, was not matching the Jesus that people were presenting. I go to church every single Sunday and I am…

  • Genesis 16: Seen

    After living in Canaan for ten years, Abram and Sarai still do not have a child. Sarai plans to make her Egyptian servant Hagar sleep with her husband in order to obtain one. Abram agrees and Hagar gets pregnant. It’s almost the perfect solution.  Hagar looks at Sarai with contempt and Sarai complains to Abram.…

  • Genesis 15: Dreams & Visions

    Abram has a vision of God saying, “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”  Instead of just accepting this, Abram questions God about his childlessness. He doesn’t understand how the promise of having countless descendants can be fulfilled without even having one kid. What gives? Now that his nephew Lot…

  • Genesis 14: Spoils of War

    In the Valley of the Salt Sea, for twelve years, the people in the region had been under the rule of the king of Elam, but on the thirteenth some rebelled.  In the fourteenth year, the king of Elam teamed up with other three kings of cities to fight five rebellious cities including Sodom and…

  • Genesis 13: Retreat

    After Abram’s misadventure in Egypt, he and his family including his nephew Lot, traveled back through Negeb to the place between Bethel and Ai where he had made an altar to God.  If you get lost, sometimes it makes sense to go back to the last place that you know you were on the right…

  • Genesis 12: Travelog

    God tells Abram to go from his country, his kindred and his father’s house to a land that “I will show you.” He promises to make Abram a great nation, bless him and make his name great, so he will be a blessing. All those that bless him, God will bless. God will curse all…