Gems from the Word

By Donna M. Sargeant

Here is a book that has been needed for a long time. My mother wrote these words during a time in her life when she was raising us two boys to be the men we are today along with being a pastor's wife. Fast forward to today-she has been deceased for almost 5 years now and the publication of this book couldn't have come at a better time! You will enjoy her comments on the scripture reading of the day. It is a chronological devotional book of the whole Bible. My mother typed all these words on one of the old Royal typewriters of the day. It's amazing how good her thoughts were concerning serving her Lord and Master on a daily basis. We can each glean something from the Word and become closer to the Lord after reading what she wrote in her daily devotions. I'm glad to have been a small part in getting this book to print. I'm sure that everyone that buys this devotional book will be as pleased as I was when I went through it in my personal devotions every morning. May the Lord bless all who receive this book with a new appreciation of the Lord we serve.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524507824

Book preview

JANUARY 1 – Genesis 1-4

Gen. 1:1 states in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. He made the land and oceans, the sun, moon and stars, the fish, birds, cattle and creeping things. Then God created Adam and told him to name all the animals and birds. Taking a rib from Adam, God made a woman to be a helpmeet for Adam.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, he punished them and sent them out of the beautiful garden. God wants us to listen to His voice and serve Him each day and when we allow ourselves to get out of line with the cares of this life, He will show us if we let him.

The very first promise of a savior is found in Genesis 3:15. Since we are all in need of a Savior, we should remember to talk to God each day to prepare our hearts to meet Him.

JANUARY 2 – Genesis 5-8

Genesis 6 tells us that there were more and more people on the earth and that they became very wicked. God was very displeased, but there was a good man who walked with God named Noah. God told him to make an ark and gave him special instructions on how to do it.

Noah did as God commanded him. When the ark was finished, God said to take seven of every clean beast, both male and female and one female and one male of every unclean beast, also, the fowls of the air by sevens into the ark. Noah and his sons Shem, Ham and Japheth with their wives entered the ark. Then God shut the door. After the waters dried up, Noah and his family and the animals left the ark. Noah built an altar and worshipped God.

JANUARY 3 - Genesis 9-11

Chapter 9, vs. 9 through 16 – God made a covenant with Noah that there would never be another flood which would cover the whole earth. The rainbow is our proof and a reminder to God that He made the agreement.

Noah’s family multiplied. The people had one language and determined together to build a tower that could reach to heaven. When God looked on their work, He did not want them to continue so He confused their speech making it impossible to know what anyone else was saying. The Lord scattered them abroad upon the face of all the earth. The tower they had been trying to build was called Babel which means confusion.

JANUARY 4 – Genesis 12-14

God asked Abram to leave his country and kindred and go to a land which would be shown to him. Many times we feel that we are being led to move into a different area from which we are familiar. It may be that we feel that we need more of God and the teachings we have followed all our lives are no longer meeting our need. Or it may be that in serving God we are asked to go to an area which is new to us.

God will show us the proper steps to take when we follow Him. He will not ask us to do anything that will lead us astray, so when we feel He is telling us a certain thing; we should continue in prayer and follow God’s leading.

JANUARY 5 – Genesis 15-17

The word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. God gives us words of encouragement in His word just as He encouraged Abram.

We see an example of what happens when we try to work out our lives by ourselves, when we look at what Abraham and Sarah got into when they didn’t wait for God to complete His work in their lives. God promised that He would bless Ishmael as well as Isaac, but the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac are still at odds in our modern world.

JANUARY 6 – Genesis 18-20

Abraham cried to God to save the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if there were 50 righteous people there. From our reading it appears that there were not even ten there who were righteous. The men whom God sent in to the cities had to take hold of Lot, his wife and two daughters to take them out of the city. They were told not to look back but Lot’s wife could not resist and when she turned to look at the city, she became a pillar of salt.

It is God’s plan that we obey His words in everything. He wants us to prepare ourselves to be ready to meet Him when He comes for His church. If we get caught up in the cares of this life without putting God first, we are in danger of not being ready when He comes.

JANUARY 7 – Genesis 21 & 22

The promised son, Isaac, was born to Sarah and Abraham and God told Abraham that both Ishmael and Isaac would be blessed. From Ishmael would be a nation and in Isaac would be Abraham’s family coming down to Christ.

God asked Abraham to take Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering. So Abraham took Isaac and two of his young men and traveled toward the land of Moriah. On the third day when they were coming to the place, Abraham told the young men to stay and wait for them to come back. He and Isaac went on and built an altar. God let Abraham get Isaac bound on the altar and raise the knife to kill him before the angel called to Abraham and told him not to slay Isaac for now I know that thou fearest God (In verse 12 of Chapter 22). There was a ram in the thicket which was offered.

God sometimes asks us to do things, but then when He sees we are willing to do them He doesn’t require us to go ahead. When we continue in prayer, we can rest assured that God will lead us.

JANUARY 8 – Job 1-7

Job was a perfect, upright man who feared God and tried to stay away from evil as it tells in Job 1:1. Yet, as we read this portion of the Bible, we see that Satan and God had a discussion about Job. God assured Satan that Job would stand true to God no matter what came upon him. Satan tried to prove that he could get Job to curse God, but in all of the trials which came upon Job he did not sin with his lips (Job 2:10). Job’s wife even asked him to curse God and die but he told her she talked as a foolish woman.

JANUARY 9 – Job 8-14

Job came to the place in his trials where he wondered why he had been born and he asked God for a little relief before he died. Many times we get to that place in this life due to various things which come along with living and we may feel like Job, but when we serve God we can know that He will continue to watch over us.

Job asked his friends to hold their peace (Chapter 13, verse 5) as he felt confident in God. We do well to think on good things rather than all the woes of our lives. God has never failed to meet our needs when we trust in Him.

JANUARY 10 – Job 15-22

Job said in 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: What a beautiful thought which we can share! If we keep that in our minds and look forward to His coming it will add blessings to our days. Any time we think on our Redeemer and give praises to Him, we are uplifted.

JANUARY 11 – Job 23-31

In Chapter 23 Job said that even though he could not see where God was or find Him anywhere he went He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held His steps, His way have I kept, and not declined.

Also in Chapter 27, Job affirmed his faith in God. He said that as long as he had breath in him he would not speak wickedness nor his tongue utter deceit.

We should strive to have the same attitude no matter what trials we are going through.

JANUARY 12 – Job 32-37

God is all powerful and sees the workings of man and there is no way in which we can compare ourselves to Him. When we are in trouble as Job was, we must look to God with the faith of a true believer and put our trust in Him knowing that He will work all things out according to the best for us.

JANUARY 13 – Job 38-42

When we honor God as we should, there is nothing that can come between us and God. Job 42:12 says that the Lord blessed Job’s latter end more than his beginning. By reading the account of Job we understand how important it is to keep our faith in God no matter what adversities come upon us. We can have security in God.

JANUARY 14 – Genesis 23-25

In this setting we see the direct leading of God in the selection of a wife for Isaac. When Abraham’s servant asked God to show him the young woman to be Isaac’s wife, Rebekah immediately appeared and the servant was overjoyed to find that she was of Abraham’s family. He told her family what his mission was and when they consented to let Rebekah go to marry Isaac, the servant bowed down and worshipped the Lord.

God will lead us just as He led Abraham and his servant.

JANUARY 15 – Genesis 25-28

Abraham’s son Isaac was tricked into giving his blessing to his youngest son Jacob and then sent Jacob to his mother’s father to find a wife. While Jacob was on the way, he dreamed of a ladder going up to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. God stood above the ladder and talked to Jacob telling him that He would be with him. When Jacob awoke, he worshipped God and determined that he would give a tenth of all that God gave him back to God. (Chapter 28:22)

JANUARY 16 – Genesis 29-33

God told Jacob to return to his own country and that He would be with him. On the way with his wives, children, animals and company, Jacob wrestled with a man who told him his name would now be Israel (32:24-28). Jacob and Esau met amicably.

God kept His promise to Jacob and was with him in all that he did. He will also keep His promises with us when we are His people.

JANUARY 17 – Genesis 34-36

God told Israel (Jacob) to go back to Bethel where he had communed with God before. Bethel meant The House of God.

Many times we get ourselves in a situation where we are far from God. If so, our first order of business should be to go back to the House of God. We have to make the first steps to God; then, He will make every effort to come to our aid.

JANUARY 18 – Genesis 37-41

Joseph was sold by his brothers and eventually was purchased by Potiphar, and officer of Pharoah. God was with Joseph and prospered him because he did his best to do the right thing in every situation. Even when he was in prison for something he didn’t do, he was listening to God and was able to interpret dreams. He helped Pharoah prepare for the seven years of famine which God foretold in Pharoah’s dreams.

JANUARY 19 – Genesis 42-45

Joseph is used by God to preserve the life of his family during the famine in the land (45:5-7). God will always provide a way to care for his people. When we are part of the family of God we have no need to fear the future.

JANUARY 20 – Genesis 46-50

Joseph’s childhood dreams came to pass in that he was able to help his family and they were nourished by him when they were unable to take care of themselves. Jacob (Israel) also made reference (in Chapter 49:10) to the future of Judah’s lineage coming down to the Savior.

JANUARY 21 – Exodus 1-4

These chapters tell of the life of Moses from birth to the time when he began to lead the children of Israel.

Chapter 2 is the well-known story of baby Moses in the ark among the flags in the river. In chapter 3 the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush.

JANUARY 22 – Exodus 5-11

When we are in the midst of heartache or trials, God will remember us just as He did the children of Israel. We sometimes get so down in our spirit from the problems of life that we cannot even hear God’s encouragement to us. The children of Israel did not listen to Moses when he told them that God was going to bring them to the land He had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Chapter 6:6-9) We should try every day to keep our hearts encouraged in the Lord to avoid such an