Protection for Abraham and His Family

Sometime later, the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, "Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great."…But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. Genesis 15:1,14

Later…that is after fighting the enemies of the king of Sodom and winning, to rescue Lot who lived in Sodom and was part of their army. God was reassuring Abraham that He would protect…and continue to protect and reward him. God went on to predict the enslavement of Abraham’s descendants, as we know happened in Egypt. God promised to punish the nation, that is Egypt, and Abraham’s family would leave there wealthy. We know the story of their great exodus…and it was as God promised. God is blessing Abraham—beyond what he will ever see.

Ride on Abraham - God will protect you.

God’s promise was for Abraham…but it wasn’t just about Abraham. It was about God. His power, strength, compassion, truth and devotion to His people. We may be looking for a promise from God—something wonderful, like a reward. Abraham became a rich man. But once again, life is not about us. It is about God. He wants to have a relationship with us…and provide for us…but in return, or actually in the first place we are to put God first in our lives. He want our intentional and complete devotion. Where do you stand with that? First of all, is Jesus Christ—God the Son—your Savior? If not, seek to know more about Jesus and growing a relationship with Him—putting Him above everything else in your life.

Prayer ~ Lord God, I seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness….Matthew 6:33 NASB. Like Abraham, I want to live to please You and I claim Your promise to him… Do not be afraid, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great. Thank You, Lord.

Bible Reading: January 20 – Genesis 25-26

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

This is still soup time of the year—especially since we probably have about ten inches of snow and ice on the ground, although it is beginning to melt. Here’s a Vegetable Beef Stew recipe that I adapted from a couple of other recipes and tossed in a few of my own favorites, like red and yellow peppers. Enjoy!

Crockpot Vegetable Beef Stew

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 2-inch cubes
½ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely grated
2 cups Yukon potatoes, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
½ cup red and yellow peppers, chopped
1 cup baby portabella mushrooms, chopped
1 (15 oz) can of tomato sauce, no sugar added
3 cups water or beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste, about 1 teaspoon each

Dredge the beef in cornstarch. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the beef and brown the meat. Stir in the onion and garlic and sauté lightly. Then add the tomato sauce. Arrange the chopped vegetables in the crockpot, add the hot meat mixture and herbs. Rinse the pan with water or broth and add to the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.  Serves 4-6.

Serve with a tossed green salad, crusty rye crackers or bread and fresh fruit for dessert. Nice cold winter night meal.

© 2017 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted

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