Scripture Meditation

And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.

Genesis 13:3-4

Today’s Thought

He had just met with a tremendous failure on his part and had been kicked out of Egypt for deceiving Pharaoh. Where was Abram to go now? He went back to the beginning, to Bethel (literally: “The house of God”) where he had first built an altar when come from his homeland of Ur.

We can’t forget the fundamentals. If you’ve participated in any kind of organized sport, you understand that fundamentals are essential. From beginners to professionals, every practice session includes fundamental work. Why? Because without the fundamentals, nothing else matter. All the power in the world doesn’t matter if you don’t have the right swing mechanics. Fancy footwork means nothing if you don’t know how to strike the ball toward goal. Sometimes we have to go back to basics, to the foundations of our faith. We get swept away by life and failure and all sorts of things. That’s why it’s important to make sure we’re practicing the fundamentals every day. Prayer, scripture, meditations, giving, and so on. These all help us maintain the proper perspective.

Prayer

Father, help me remember why I started all of this in the first place. You are God, my Creator and my Savior. May I never forget that and how much I need you.