New Hope Daily SOAP - Daily Devotional Bible Reading

Daily Dose of Hope September 30, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 38   Prayer:  Holy God, We come before you this morning in awe of your blessings and love.  Thank you, Lord, for the ways you continue to guide our lives.  Lord, we are desperate to know you better.  In these next few moments of silence, Jesus, please speak to us.  We need to hear your voice...  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis, followed by the book of Exodus.  Today's reading is Genesis 38.   The story takes a break from Joseph and turns to Judah, his older brother.  Judah was a businessman of sorts, he leaves his home and family for financial reasons we assume. He moves away from his Hebrew roots to a Canaanite town. Not surprisingly, he ends up marrying a Canaanite woman. Why is this an issue? As we have mentioned before, the Canaanites worshiped other gods.  There was no way this wouldn't seep into the family life of Judah.  The whole chapter sees Judah's moral decline.   Judah arranged for his oldest son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar. But Er was a wicked man in the Lord's sight, so the Lord took his life.  Judah told Er's younger brother Onan to marry Tamar.  At the time, they practiced Levirate marriage, which meant if a man died before he produced a male heir, then the next oldest brother would sleep with his sister-in-law to try to produce an heir. The baby would then be considered a child of the dead brother. This may sound weird to us but it was one of several systems that God put in place to ensure that the most vulnerable segments of society would be cared for.    Onan didn't want to have a child who would not be his own heir.  So whenever he had sex with Tamar, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother. And the Lord considered Onan evil for doing this, so he killed him too.   Judah decides he doesn't want to risk his third son with Tamar. If Shelah dies, then Judah will be without heirs, and any inheritance he may gain from Jacob will be lost. So he misleads Tamar into waiting until Shelah is grown up. I'm not sure that we can understand the significance of this. This was a grave sin, denying Tamar the ability to have a husband, a male heir or any kind of meaningful life. He doesn't release her from the marriage -he tells her to go live as a widow which means she could not remarry - but he doesn't offer her the option of his third son. Tamar is in a no win situation here. Doomed to live a life of poverty and/or prostitution.   Tamar has taken matters into her own hands. Judah has basically abandoned her. Years have gone by, Shelah the third son is definitely marrying age and Judah has never sent for Tamar. She knows he isn't planning to, nor is he planning to release her from living as a widow. She knows that her fate isn't good unless she does something drastic. So she takes off her widow's clothing and dresses like a prostitute. She hangs out where her father-in-law will see her and he propositions her. So, this gives us more insight into Judah's character. Maybe he frequented prostitutes, Tamar must have somehow known that he would be willing to solicit her.   And Tamar ends up pregnant.  Judah finds out and he is ready to execute Tamar.  In the end, when Judah finds that he was the guy who got his daughter in law pregnant, he declares her righteous. Even though she was deceptive, she was the one who managed to continue to family line.)  Okay, so this whole scenario seems dysfunctional, right? Evil sons, so evil that God kills them. A conniving father-in-law who doesn't care for the well-being of his daughter in law or his family line. A desperate daughter in law who pretends to be a prostitute so her father-in-law can get her pregnant. It all sounds a bit weird. So, what are we to make of this? Why was this included in God's whole story of redemption?   Here are some thoughts:   o   Judah leaves his family, leaves all Godly influence, and moves to Canaan. The further we move away from Godly community, the further we will move from God. There is a purpose in gathering with other believers, having a community of worship. We are a forgetful people and we need to be reminded who and whose we are. Judah clearly forgot this. o    The culture of the near east during this time period left much to be desired. Women, children, foreigners were highly vulnerable. They had zero social status and could easily be abused and maligned. God put some structures in place to ensure the care of the most vulnerable - Levirate marriage, gleaning; the prophets spoke out about mistreatment of the poor, the Old Testament clearly speaks of taking care of widows and orphans. Jesus walked closely to the poor, the needy, the oppressed, the outcast. Clearly, God cares for those who are needy and vulnerable and the expectation is that we will as well.  o   Finally, this story really demonstrates how God uses broken, messed up people to achieve his purposes. Judah was far from Godly. Tamar, though God called her righteous and she was certainly courageous, she was still a bit deceptive and scrappy. And yet God chose these two people to carry on the line of Jacob. It was the union of these two flawed individuals that produced an heir in the direct line of Jesus. If you look at Matthew 1, Tamar is the first of four women specifically mentioned by name in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. God could have chosen anyone...but he chose them. I love this because it demonstrates how God uses sinful people, flawed people, broken people, people with baggage, people who have failed, people who weren't the best and brightest, imperfect people like you and me, to achieve his purposes. We may not have a great past. We might not even have a super present, but he wants to use us, flaws and all, to expand his Kingdom, to carry out his mission in the world.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope September 29, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 37   Prayer:  Almighty Father, Thank you for loving us despite our many faults.  Thank you for showing us a different way of doing life.  Help us seek holiness in all we do.  Help us become the people you desire us to be.  As we work through today's Scripture and devotional, I pray that you speak to our hearts.  Help us see things differently.  We want to hear from you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis.  Today's reading is Genesis 37 and begins the tenth and final major section of the book.  The rest of the book will focus primarily on Joseph.  We will see that Jacob favoring Joseph will set the story in motion.  While God can use anything for his good (and he does in this case), favoritism never turns out well when it comes to children.    In today's reading, Joseph is a very arrogant and naïve 17-year-old and the favorite of his father's many children.  Jacob does not keep his favoritism secret, either.  He makes this beautiful coat for Joseph, which Joseph wears in front of his other brothers.  This is really a recipe for disaster.  To make matters worse, Joseph has dreams where the brothers bow down to him and Joseph decides it's a good idea to share these dreams with his brothers!  Some things are better kept to ourselves.  No wonder the brothers hate him.  It appears Joseph thinks a lot of himself and he doesn't mind sharing how great he is with the others.  Of course, Jacob has fed that to Joseph for years.  We can just sense that this is not going to end well.  Between Jacob's favoritism and Joseph's arrogance, something is going to snap among the other brothers.   And we don't have to wait for long for that to happen.  Jacob sends Joseph to check on his brothers who are grazing the animals out in the fields.  They see him when he is still far off and several of them want to kill him.  Reuben the oldest wants to save Joseph's life, understanding the pain this will cause his father.  Eventually, Joseph is sold to a band of Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.  This will open us a totally new dynamic to the story.   But the saddest part is that they lie to Jacob and tell him Joseph was devoured by a wild animal.  They bring the beautiful coat with some goat blood to him as evidence.  And Jacob is, understandably, consumed by grief.    A few thoughts here.  First, favoritism or partiality destroys families.  Maybe you have seen this or experienced this yourself.  It is always destructive.  Second, sin has a way of escalating quickly.  Jealousy moves quickly to hatred which can move to murder and then lies and deception.  So very heartbreaking.  Finally, we have to trust that God is going to work through all this mess.  God is going to take this brokenness and suffering and work through it and despite of it.  We'll get to read more about that in the next few days.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope September 28, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 36   Prayer:  Holy God, We start by praising your name.  You are a good God, a mighty God, and a wise God.  Work in our lives.  Speak to us.  We need you, Lord.  Over and over again, we need you.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis, which is both fascinating and challenging at the same time.  Today's reading is Genesis 36.   The text today covers the family of Esau.  He has three wives, five sons, one daughter, and ten grandsons. By worldly standards, this seems to be a successful family.  And not only does he have many descendants, ultimately his family became a powerful nation and dynasty.  Many of his descendants became chiefs.  And in verse 31, some were even called kings. So, he became a powerful patriarch! I mean, he had power and influence, his children and his descendants became very influential, wealthy people.   But another important element about Esau and his family is that Esau did not choose to walk with God.   While he was deceived about his birthright, he was also careless with it.   I mean, he sold it for a bowl of lentil soup. He just seemed to not care about the spiritual things.  There is never a mention of Esau and God.  And then, he chose to have Canaanite wives.  We know this was frowned upon for the Hebrew people.  Both Isaac and Jacob traveled far and wide to find non-Canaanite women to marry.  The Canaanites were considered a sinful, rebellious, and idolatrous people.  You wonder what kind of upbringing his children received.  Did they know about the one true God or only about the false gods of the Canaanites?   I have mixed feelings about Esau.  He clearly didn't value the things of God, but did he ever receive the proper teaching from Isaac and Rebekah?   Jacob was the chosen one very early on.  Did Esau have a chance?  I'm not sure what I think about this.   What is very sad is that Esau's descendants end up being enemies of Isreal in the coming generations.  There were frequent wars between the two nations.    Tomorrow, the discussion moves to Jacob's sons and there is no more mention of Esau in the book of Genesis.  What do you think about Esau?  I would love to hear from some of you.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope September 25, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 35 + Going Deeper with Emmy   Prayer:  Almighty God, thank You that You are the God of eternity. When my heart fears change, remind me that Your love never ends. When I grow tired, lift me into Your everlasting strength. Anchor my life in Your promises and help me live today in light of eternity. Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the podcast and devotional that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently working our way through the book of Genesis.  Today's Scripture reading is Genesis 35, plus we have our going deeper discussion with Emmy Roberts.   God let's Jacob, now Israel, know that it is time to return home to the land of his father.  Jacob has everyone abandon their household gods (I'm not sure why they had these to begin with) and they head on their way.  They have been traveling for awhile but the journey has been long with many distractions on the way.  But this was a hard time to live and the problems keep coming.  First, Rebekah's nurse, a woman named Deborah, dies and she is buried.  Then, Rachel delivers a baby boy and it's a tough birth.  She also passes and is buried on the way.    When they final reach Hebron, where Isaac lived, he dies as well.  Jacob and his family have arrived in time to bury his father.  This has been a journey of great loss for Jacob.  And there will be more to come.   Let's move on now to our going deeper discussion with Emmy.  We have a lot to discuss this week!   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope September 24, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 34   Prayer:  Almighty God, I come before you today with a sense of gratefulness.  You are Lord of all and yet you care for me.  Thank you, Lord.  Help me walk through this day with humility and your wisdom; help me represent you well.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, help me gather my scattered thoughts, I want to hear your voice...Come Holy Spirit, and guide this time.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the podcast and devotional that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently working our way through the book of Genesis.  This has been really fascinating and challenging at the same time.  Scripture certainly doesn't hide dysfunction or toxic family structures.  We get to see more of that today.    Today's text is Genesis 34.  Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob (or the only daughter that Scripture mentions), went out to see the women of the land.  This means she went by herself to hang out with the women of Shechem. Remember that the Canaanite people are a picture of worldly living. This would have been a dangerous venture for Dinah.  The Canaanites are a picture of living separate from God or apart from God. The sons of Abraham were not to mix with the Canaanites. They were not to intermarry. They were not to have anything to do with them.  And, pretty quickly, we are about to find out why.    When Shechem, the son of Hammar, who was the prince of the land, saw Dinah, he took her and seized her.  The implication is that he kidnapped her and raped her.  And then afterward, he decides he loves her and spoke tenderly to her.  He has just sexually assaulted her and now he is speaking tenderly to her!  The whole thing is disgusting.  Shechem obviously thinks he can take what he wants, who he wants, and do whatever he wants without any kind of repercussion.  This was the twisted morality of a Canaanite prince.   Shechem decides he wants to take Dinah as his wife.  Poor Dinah.  We have no idea what she is thinking during any of this.  She must have been very scared.    Her father and brothers hear about the situation.  They listen to Shechem's desire for Dinah but also for his desire for their peoples to intermingle and intermarry.  Remember, this would have very much gone against God's instructions.  Besides that, they want nothing to do with these people.  Look what has happened to their sister.  All they want to do is get back at them.  So, the brothers come up with a plan.   They pretend to go along with Shechem's request.  Sure, you can marry our sister.  Sure, we will trade with you.  But first, you must all be circumcised.  And they did it.  All the men went under the knife because their prince told them to.  I'm guessing they really didn't have much of a choice.    And when they were still healing (It takes at least three weeks for an adult male to heal from circumcision by the way), Dinah's brothers plundered the city and killed all the men.    Now, keep in mind these were Leah's boys.  They were avenging their sister.  They may have felt like Jacob didn't do enough to protect her.  They may have felt like they were less favored because Leah was their mom instead of Rachel.  Keep in mind, there was probably a lot of dysfunction in this household.  These young men were acting out of rage, possibly a lifetime of rage.  What happened to Dinah might have been the straw that broke the camel's back.  So, Jacob was upset with them, but we don't have a lot of evidence that he did a lot to guide them or lead them in the way of righteousness.    What are your thoughts on this?  What feelings does this evoke in you?   More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope September 23, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 33   Prayer:  Holy God, How amazing it is that we can come before you today.  You are God of all things, Lord of everything, and yet you care about each of us.  We give you glory and praise.  We thank you most of all for Jesus, who made it possible for us to walk hand in hand with a holy God.  Help us see today's Scripture through fresh eyes.  Keep teaching us, Lord.  Continue to reveal yourself to us.  We are open and grateful.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are working our way through the book of Genesis.  There is a lot of substance here.  I would love some of your thoughts.   Today's reading is Genesis 33. Jacob is on his way home.  He has wrestled with God, and he seems ready to make real change in his life.  Jacob has now been reunited with his brother, Esau, who he deceived multiple times.  He is repentant and humble.  He isn't trying to manipulate his way into more wealth.  But his new name, Israel, has not yet taken full effect.  Why do I mean?   Well, Jacob's transformation in today's reading seems a bit shallow.  I hate to say that.  I want to see him as a changed man.  He certainly acts in a deferential way toward his brother, Esau, but there are also signs of manipulation.  He sends gifts and his family before facing Esau himself.  Esau meets Jacob warmly, but Jacob is suspicious.  He still seems to fear for his life, and he makes excuses to get away from Esau.  Even though God has given Jacob a new name, he is still a fearful man and we still see signs of the deceiver.  As Esau leaves, Jacob tells him that he and his family will meet them in Seir.  In truth, Jacob goes to Shechem, and establishes himself in a place that was a safe distance from Esau.   Does Jacob still not trust God?  He doesn't seem to living into his new name.    What we are going to find is that Jacob's inability to fully reconcile with Esau, his continued deception, and his unwillingness to let go of the past is going to lead to isolation.  Jacob has led a life of deception and running.  He is not a virtuous hero by any means.  He is a sinful man, who we see being gradually transformed by God.  But the sad part of all of this is that his children are watching and learning.  They are not going to come away from this unscathed.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

Daily Dose of Hope September 22, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 32:22-32   Prayer:  Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us.  Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen.    Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis, followed by a deep dive into the book of Exodus.  Today, we are finishing up Genesis 32.   Today's text is fascinating.  Here we find Jacob, 60 years old, at the lowest moment of his life.  He isn't sure if he and his family are going to live or die, as he knows his brother, Esau, is headed his way.  He sends gifts Esau's way, prays to God, and then goes to sleep.  It's while he sleeps that Jacob enters a wrestling match with a man he firmly believes to be God.   It's interesting, God could have defeated Jacob quickly but he allows Jacob to keep holding on.  God doesn't let go of Jacob either. Then, God changes Jacob's name. God first asks Jacob his name and he has to say it out loud – he is Jacob, deceiver.  It's then that God changes it to Israel. Here is where Jacob has come full circle. He is no longer the arrogant deceiver who could care less about his brother, his dying father, and his many wives and their maidservants.  He is someone who says, "I'm not going back. I'm going to hold on to you, God. I'm going to be the man YOU knew I could be."   Have you ever wrestled with God? This is our story, is it not? We wrestle with God all the time.  We wrestle with God when we do something that we know we shouldn't be doing or when we are somewhere we know we shouldn't be.  We wrestle with God when we answer the question, "Is there a God?"  We wrestle with God when we deal with tragedy, when we are disappointed, when we've prayed and prayed and prayed and still our loved one dies, or we lose our job or our marriage. We wrestle. We want to believe but we are angry and tired and weak.   The bottom line is that sometimes our wrestling with God is actually an act of faith, an act that yes, I do believe in you, God, and I am going to hold on. I am going to hold on even though I don't want to, even though I feel let down and grief-stricken.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope September 21, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 32:1-21   Prayer:  Holy God, We come before you today distracted and with scattered thoughts.  Help us focus, Lord, on you and your Word.  Help us, in the next few moments, to be silent, still, and remember that you are God...Thank you, Lord, for your care and concern for our lives.  Thank you for how you show up in amazing and unexpected ways!  We give you glory, Lord Jesus.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis.  Today's reading is the first half of Genesis 32.   It is the day of reckoning.  Jacob has left Laban and is heading back to the land of his father.  That means he will go through the land of Edom and have an interaction with his brother, Esau, who he deceived multiple times.  By this point, Jacob knows and understands what he has done.  He has now been on the receiving end of deception several times himself.    As Jacob's journey begins, the angels of God meet him.  I find this fascinating.  Jacob saw them and he says, "This is the camp of God!"  Psalm 34:7 says that the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear them, and he delivers them.  It's kind of beautiful that the Lord is letting Jacob see that his presence is with him.    So, let's get back to Jacob and Esau. Jacob's messengers tell him that Esau is coming to meet him with an army of four hundred men.  This obviously scares Jacob.  He begins to pray.  He pleads with the Lord.  He says something like this, "Save me, Lord, from my brother Esau.  I'm afraid he'll come and attack me and my wives and my children.  But you said that you will make me prosper and will make my descendants like the sand of the sea."  While he doesn't need to remind God of his promises, I'm sure it makes him feel better.  He knows this is very, very serious.   Jacob decides to get ahead of the problem. He splits his entourage into three groups and sends them in three different directions.  He is hoping at least one of the groups will survive.  Each group was given very specific instructions.  They are to call Esau, "My Lord," and offer him a gift of a very significant livestock.  Jacob, who was once proud, has become humble.  He is asking for Esau's favor, even though he knows that he doesn't deserve it.   Have you even been in a dire situation similar to Jacob?  I know it wouldn't be exactly the same.  But have you been in a situation in which you feel like your livelihood or your family is in danger?  This would lead to such a feeling of desperation.  What would your prayer be to God?  If you were in Jacob's shoes, what would you say to God?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki          

Daily Dose of Hope September 18, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 31 + Going Deeper with Emmy Roberts   Prayer:  Holy and Merciful God, Thank you for a new day and thank you that your mercies are new every morning.  As we enter into this weekend, help us be aware of your presence in a new way, Lord.  And right now, help us gather our scattered thoughts and focus on you and your Word.  In these next few moments of silence, help us be still and know that you are God...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis.  Today's reading is Genesis 31, plus we have our going deeper discussion with youth and next gen lead, Emmy Roberts.   In today's reading, God tells Jacob to take his wives, children, livestock, and belongings, and head to the land of his father.  Laban is not to be trusted.  Although the Scripture doesn't explicitly say so, it appears that Laban and his sons may have plans to harm Jacob.  They are incredibly jealous of his success.    So, that is exactly what they do.  They secretly leave, without telling Laban.  This ends twenty years of Jacob being taken advantage of by Laban.  If it were only that easy.  Laban hears about what has happened and comes to find Jacob.  He acts hurt.  He does put on a good show.   The odd part of this situation is Rachel taking Laban's household gods.  Why did she do this?  One possibility is that Rachel and Leah felt that their father Laban treated them like strangers and consumed their money. Taking the idols may have acted as a form of financial payback or a way to secure their household's wealth.  There is also the real possibility that while Rachel knew God, she may have still had some kind of unhealthy attachment to the false gods.  Finally, some commentators suggest Laban used the idols for divination to track fugitives. Rachel may have stolen them to keep her father from finding out which route Jacob's fleeing caravan took.   Regardless, she took them and was able to outsmart her father, Laban, who was the ultimate deceiver and trickster.  God ensured that Jacob and his family were protected.   With that, let's get into our going deeper conversation with Emmy about this week's reading.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope September 17, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 30   Prayer:  Heavenly Father, We come before you today in awe of your Word. Thank you for speaking to us through Scripture.  Help us commit to being grounded in your truth.  Help us make learning more about you a priority.  We get so distracted!  The world comes at us from all sides.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope church in Brandon, Florida. We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis.  Today's reading is Genesis 30   Today, we continue the saga of Jacob and his wives.  As we mentioned yesterday, it appears that Leah, the older sister/first wife, got a raw deal, discarded by her dad and not loved by her husband.  But we mentioned yesterday that God blessed her with many sons.  With each child, we see a spiritual change in Leah based on what she names her boys.  Reuben was the first-born and his name means "behold, a son."  When Leah had Reuben, she felt like the Lord had seen her misery.  Simeon was second and his name means "God has heard."  Levi was third and his name means "joined in harmony," because Leah thought after three sons, her husband would finally feel attached to her.  By the fourth son, Judah, we see a change in Leah.  Judah's name means "the praised one."  It took four births before we see some healing.  Instead of lamenting about her life, she begins to see God's hand and starts to praise him!   But while Leah has born Jacob four boys, Rachel has been unable to conceive.  Now, she is incredibly jealous of her sister.  This is when the drama begins!  Rachel has Jacob sleep with her handmaiden and through her, they have two sons.  Leah, who has stopped having kids, responds by having Jacob sleep with her handmaiden and they have two sons together.  Rachel is desperate for a baby of her own and there is this interesting interaction between sisters, sharing some mandrakes (which were thought to increase fertility in barren women) and making arrangements about who gets to sleep with Jacob when.  As a result, Leah has two more babies, a boy and a girl, and Rachel finally has Joseph.    So, what in the world was Jacob thinking?  Scripture certainly doesn't mention him having an opinion or taking any kind of stand against this craziness.  It appears to the outside observer that he was perfectly fine being thrown from wife to wife to handmaiden to handmaiden.  It appears he will sleep with whomever and whenever.  We have perspective, of course, so what we know is that God's purpose is for all of these sons to be the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel.  God was planning to fulfill the covenant he made with Abraham through these sons.  We just get to witness a lot of messiness in the process.   It's also in this chapter that Jacob asks Laban either for his freedom or his wages.  He is ready to go off on his own, but his father-in-law seems to be aware that the only reason that he has been successful is because of Jacob's skill, labor, and blessing.  So Laban agrees to give Jacob all his speckled and spotted goats and dark-colored sheep as his payment for continuing to tend Laban's flocks.  But remember Laban is a deceiver and a trickster.  He tries to cheat Jacob by removing all patterned animals ahead of time and sending them a three-day journey away, leaving Jacob with only solid white sheep and solid-colored goats.   But Jacob also has some things up his sleeve.  Jacob decides on a rather unusual methodology for what appears to be selective breeding of sheep and goats. This section is often heavily criticized as being superstitious folklore. The charge is made that these goat-herders in Canaan obviously knew nothing about genetics.  What was Jacob doing and what did he understand about breeding?   I had to read this a few times.  It is rather confusing.  So, Jacob put the peeled sticks in the watering trough so that the flocks would breed near the troughs.  Just FYI, these kinds of sticks would have been really tasty to the sheep.  The females would be attracted to the troughs with the sticks, drink from the troughs, and the males would come behind them to breed.      The spotted or speckled traits must have been recessive, so it was possible for the solid-colored sheep to have a few babies who carried the recessive trait.  It seems maybe that God gave Jacob a vision of which animals carried this recessive trait.  It was those animals that he gave extra food or medicines to keep them really healthy.  Basically, God is making it so Jacob will prosper, even though Laban is underhanded and deceiving.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope September 16, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 29   Prayer:  Abba Father, Prepare our hearts for your Word today.  Help us approach this Scripture with an openness to learning something new from you.  Jesus, thank you for your perfect example of mercy and love.  More of you and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through the book of Genesis.  Today, we read Genesis 29.   Jacob is not in Haran, where his mother's brother, Laban, lives.  He meets his cousin, Rachel, and falls for her, basically saying he will work for his Uncle Laban for seven years in exchange for the ability to marry Rachel.  Romantic love is very uncommon in the Old Testament so this is a bit of a unusual circumstance.  Laban is a deceiver and trickster, not unlike Jacob himself.  After seven years of labor, there is a wedding and Laban gives Jacob Leah (the older sister) instead of Rachel.  We don't know why Jacob didn't notice the sister switch.  Maybe it was dark, maybe she was veiled, or maybe he was drunk.  Regardless, Leah becomes his first wife.    I have always felt so sorry for Leah.  Not only was she the less favored sister, but her father pawns her off to a man who doesn't want her.  I can't imagine how humiliating this must have been for her.   Jacob wakes up the morning after the wedding and realizes that he has married Leah instead of Rachel.  He is really mad and insists on Laban giving him Rachel.  After a week, Laban does so, but Jacob must agree to seven more years of labor.   The text refers to Leah as the unloved wife.  But she does have many children, four boys right off the bat.  Rachel, on the other hand, has none.  What Laban has done is create a wedge between the sisters and many sad years of competition.   Did Jacob get a taste of his own medicine?  Maybe, but it was at the cost of these two women, who had very little control over their lives.    But regardless, God is going to work his plan.  Leah's boys (at this point in the story) are Reuben, Simeon, Judah, and Levi.  Levi will be the ancestor of Israelites priests and Judah will be the ancestor of Israelites kings.  And we should also mention God's promise to Abraham that he will be the father of many nations.  This covenant will be fulfilled even with Laban's trickery and the sad rivalry between Leah and Rahel.  God fulfills his promises, even through flawed human beings.   Once again, that should bring us a sense of encouragement!   Blessings, Pastor Vicki        

Daily Dose of Hope Sept. 15, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 28   Prayer:  Amazing Father and Lord, Thank you for who you are.  Thank you for how you care for us.  We get distracted.  We veer away from you and your Word.  For that, we are so very sorry.  Forgive us, Lord.  Help us to abide in you.  Help us to remain close so that we can be fruitful and effective for your Kingdom.  Help us get outside ourselves and see others as you see them.  Lord, we belong to you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis, and we are about halfway through.  There is still so much to learn and wrestle with!  Today, we continue with the life of Jacob in Genesis 28.   Our reading today starts with Isaac sending Jacob off to find a wife, a woman who was not a Canaanite.  The interesting thing to me here is Esau's reaction.  Esau was already married to two Canaanite women.  He must have known that his choices displeased his parents.  This wasn't something that would be kept a secret.  In fact, at the end of Genesis 26, the text says that Esau's choice in wives made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.  Now, Esau decides to choose a third wife who was not a Canaanite, possibly to gain some favor with his parents.  This seems like a superficial attempt to gain his parent's approval.  Probably a genuine change of heart and a sincere apology would go further.  Regardless, now he has three wives.    Let's move on to Jacob.  The rest of the chapter contains what is typically referred to as "Jacob's Ladder."  Jacob heads off of his own and sleeps in the desert, using a stone for a pillow.  He dreams of a staircase connecting heaven and earth with angels descending and ascending.  God tells Jacob that he will protect him and God confirms the covenant He made with Abraham that his offspring will be many and that the Promised Land will one day belong to his descendants.   Some people see this dream of Jacob's as highly symbolic, representing Jesus Christ, who came to earth as a mediator and became that ladder or stairway for us to reconnect the relationship with God that was severed because of sin.  So, if you ever hear Jesus being called our "Jacob's ladder," that is why.    Again, it's interesting that God chose Jacob, the youngest child and the one who deceived his father and brother.  But God chooses certain people for his own reasons.  Jacob will come to symbolize so much more as we move forward in the book of Genesis.     More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope September 14, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 26:34-35  & 27   Prayer: Holy God, We rejoice in your name today.  You are almighty and wise, the Alpha and the Omega.  You are the one who was, and is, and is to come.  We give you all the glory and praise.  Help us now, Lord, gather our scattered thoughts and focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, hear our prayers...  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis.  Today's reading is the very end of Genesis 26 and the full chapter of Genesis 27.   It's easy to wonder why God chooses to bless some of the guys in Genesis.  Take Jacob, for instance.  He and his mom devise a plan to deceive Isaac, his dad.  Disguised as Esau, wearing his brother's clothes, and attaching animal skins to his arms and neck, Jacob offers his father a savory meal to replace the one that Esau was supposed to prepare for him.  Jacob then lies to his blind and dying father, saying, "I am Esau your firstborn.  I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, so that you may bless me."  Isaac at first seems to know that something is up; he says that the voice seems to belong to Jacob.  But he goes ahead and offers Jacob his blessing.    When Esau finds out what has happened, he is devastated.  He mentions another meaning of Jacob's name, deceiver.  He says something like, "Is he not rightly named Jacob?  For he has now deceived me two times.  He took away my birthright and now he has taken away my blessing."    Jacob seems to cross every line that presents itself.  There is no rule or relationship that is beyond him.  If he wants something, he will get it.  He doesn't mind messing up the line of inheritance and the chain of blessing.  He isn't worried about disrespecting his father or hurting his brother.  He appears to only be interested in himself.  The weirdest thing to me is that his mom is complicit in the whole thing.  Favoritism is always bad news.   But even though Jacob has tried to steal every advantage with mom helping him all the way, life doesn't turn out so well for him.  If he is seeking an advantage, it doesn't come.  As we are about to see in the next few chapters, Jacob will meet his match with his Uncle Laban who is also a deceiver.  And then his own sons will deceive him after they sell Jacob's youngest son and their brother into slavery.  Jacob ends up getting a taste of his own medicine big time.  For us as the readers, there is no satisfaction in any of it, only heartache.    But there is something we will learn from Jacob.  God is going to use him.  God is going to take this deceitful man who lies to his dad and openly tries to harm his brother, and form him into someone who will serve and work for God.  Jacob is going to have to go through the mill but he is going to meet God in some pretty incredible ways.  God can change and transform anyone.  We get to see that over and over again in Scripture.   The other thing that we will see is that the Bible doesn't sugarcoat people.  Scripture is very open about people's flaws and brokenness.  In many ways, this gives me a weird sense of encouragement.  God doesn't need perfect people.  In fact, his specialty seems to be broken, messed up people.  And if God can use all of these people, then he can also use you and me.  And while I don't want to be a deceiver like Jacob, I know I have my own flaws and sins.  And I love that God can still change me and use me.  In fact, I pray that he will.  Thank you, God, for being a God who is still in the business of transforming lives.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki        

Daily Dose of Hope September 11, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 26:1-33   Prayer:  Holy God, We rejoice and give praise for the ways you care for us.  We rejoice and give praise for how you continue to forgive us and give us second and third chances.  Help us seek lives characterized by your holiness.  Help us seek pure hearts.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, hear our prayers and help us bring together all our scattered thoughts and focus on you...It's in your name we pray, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through the book of Genesis.  Today, our reading is the bulk of Genesis 26, through verse 33.   We read in today's chapter that there is a famine in the land so Isaac goes down to Gerar.  Gerar was a town south of Canaan, located in a fertile valley, which makes sense why Isaac would choose that location.  But when he gets there, he does something that will sound very familiar to us.  He tells the local king that Rebekah is his sister!  Like father, like son.  Even though God has promised to protect him, Isaac is still fearful.  How often we fall into the same pattern as our parents.   It's here that we see God's grace.  God blesses Isaac despite himself.  Even after the king finds out that Rebekah is his wife, God ensures that Isaac is blessed and protected.  His flocked multiply.  His wells are plentiful.  He is so very successful that the locals are feeling threatened and he keeps moving around.  He ends up settling in Beersheba, where God reinforces that he is with Isaac and will make his descendants great.    Isaac's success ends up being a witness for the Lord.  Eventually, the king comes and finds him.  He admits that he knows that Isaac is successful because of God Almighty is with him.  It isn't anything that Isaac has done (it's actually despite Isaac).  It's all God.  This leads to Isaac making a covenant of peace with the king.  Again, we see God's hand at work.   How often have you seen God's hand at work in your life, even when you have been disobedient or sinful?  It's amazing to me how God's grace can persist through our mess and stubbornness.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope Sept. 10, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 25   Prayer:  Almighty God, we start by pausing before you.  Help us set aside the distractions of the morning or the day and focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, help us gather our scattered thoughts and think only of you...Help us be still and know you are God.  God, we rejoice that we can freely read your Word and we are grateful that you speak to us through it. It's truly a miracle.  Holy Spirit, we also invite you to join us as we seek to grow deeper in relationship with you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the books of Genesis and Exodus.  Today, our reading is Genesis 25.   The chapter begins with Abraham taking a new wife.  Remember, Sarah has passed.  This new wife, Keturah, has quite a few kids.  But the chapter makes it clear that despite these additional children, Abraham gives everything he has to Isaac.  He is the son who God promised to him and the one through whom God's promise will pass.   But then the Scripture says something kind of interesting.  It says that Abrahm gave gifts to the sons of the concubines.  I don't know about you, but I was initially like, what???  Did Abraham have concubines?  Upon some deeper study, the only untoward relationship we know of in Abraham's life is with Hagar.  So, it could be that this is a reference to both Hagar and Keturah, letting us know that God's covenant promise was through Sarah.  The other women did not have the same status.   And then, Abraham dies.  His sons bury him in the same cave as his first wife, Sarah.   We then read about the birth of Isaac's twin boys, Jacob and Esau.  They were fraternal twins that seemed to be in competition with each other from birth.  Some Jewish commentators actually say that they tried to kill one another in the womb, but that certainly does not seem to be evident in the Scripture.  What we do know is that God revealed to Rebekah that the older (stronger) brother will be subordinate to the younger (weaker) brother. But in some ways, the boys divided the parents.  Isaac favored Esau while Rebekah favored Jacob.   Let's fast-forward.  The Scripture moves quickly to when the boys are young men.  It's a story most of us have heard before.  Esau sells his firstborn right for a bowl of Jacob's delicious stew.  We get a picture of Esau as impulsive.  His hunger needs to be dealt with immediately!  He doesn't think about the long-term consequences.   I've always thought this story is so strange.  Esau seems to be impulsive, but he also seems to be treated unfairly.  Thus, we have to look at the deeper themes here.  By favoring Jacob, God is siding with the powerless, the weak, and the younger brother.  By favoring Jacob, God is actually identifying with Israel, the tiny, powerless nation who lived in the middle of much stronger nations.    And while God identifies with Jacob, Jacob is still not always characterized in the best light.  God's favor comes in spite of Jacob's negative behavior.  We can actually get a picture of God's grace here.  Despite his brokenness, God has decided to work through Jacob.  Despite our brokenness, God will work through us.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki            

Daily Dose of Hope September 9, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 24   Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father, We are so grateful that your mercies are new every single morning.  No matter what our week has been like, we can come to you today afresh and anew.  Lord, forgive us for our many failings.  We want to do better.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through the book of Genesis and today we are looking at Genesis 24.   Today, we read about Isaac's marriage to Rebekah.  The chapter begins with Abraham asking his senior servant to swear an oath that he will find a wife for Isaac among his father's people rather than the surrounding Canaanites.  You probably noticed that when asking his servant, Abraham has the servant place his hand under Abraham's thigh.  I definitely needed to look this up.   This was the typical way of swearing a solemn oath in the ancient world.  The thigh was considered the source of posterity. Or, more properly, the "loins" or the testicles. The phrase "under the thigh" could be a euphemism for "on the loins."  We really don't know.  But there are two reasons why someone would take an oath in this manner.  First, Abraham had been promised a "seed" by God, and this covenantal blessing was passed on to his son and grandson. Abraham made his trusted servant swear "on the seed of Abraham" that he would find a wife for Isaac.  Second, Abraham had received circumcision as the sign of the covenant. Our custom is to swear on a Bible; the Hebrew custom was to swear on circumcision, the mark of God's covenant. The idea of swearing on one's loins is found in other cultures, as well. The English word testify is directly related to the word testicles.  So, there's your trivia for today.   Other scholars say that's totally hogwash.  They would say placing a hand under the thigh indicated someone was under their authority.  I'll let you decide which interpretation works.   The senior servant heads out to find a wife for Isaac.  He goes to the land of Nahor, where Abraham's brother and family live.  I kind of feel sorry for the servant here.  It's kind of an awkward situation.  He needs to find an appropriate wife and convince her family to allow him to take her far, far away.  His sincerity and humility certainly help his case though.  He truly wants to do the right thing and it seems that people can sense it.   God makes sure his promises are fulfilled here.  Rebekah agrees to go with the servant, even when her family seeks to delay it.  She goes back with the servant and takes her place in Sarah's tent, demonstrating that she is the new matriarch.    We get to learn more about Isaac in the next few chapters.  Get ready!   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope September 8, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 23   Prayer:  Abba Father, We come to you today in awe of your love for us.  Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice.  Thank you for sitting high and looking low.  We give you all the glory and praise, Lord Jesus.  Help us to be less selfish and more like you.  On our own, we mess it up.  We need you, Jesus.  We need you minute by minute.  Guide our thoughts today, Lord.  Guide our words and guide our actions.  May we look more like you today, Lord, than we did yesterday.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through the book of Genesis and today we are looking at Genesis 23.   This chapter details the death of Sarah and Abraham's grieving.  We get a picture of how the ancient Hebrews buried and mourned for their deceased.  Sarah is the only woman in the Bible whose age at death is recorded, so that tells us something about her – she is very highly regarded.    Abraham, very appropriately, grieves deeply for his wife.  Then, he has to figure out where to bury her.  He has a place in mind, the cave of Machpelah.  It was located in the land belonging to Ephron the Hittite. In his travels around Canaan, Abraham had earlier lived in this area and there built an altar to God (chapter 13). He knew this cave and was willing to pay for it.    They do this weird negotiation.  In those times and in that culture, it was appropriate to first offer the plot for free, knowing that the purchaser would refuse that.  Then, there would be back and forth negotiation.  We can see this in the Scripture.  Abraham ends up getting the burial cave for 400 shekels of silver.  I read a few articles that this was a real rip-off, but Abraham was wealthy and he wanted the land.  He would have paid any price for it.  Remember, eventually, all the land was to become Abraham's.  But for this small piece, Abraham actually possessed a deed.   So, Sarah is buried there.  This is also where Abraham's son buries him.  It's where Isaac and Rebekah are buried, where Jacob buries Leah, and where Joseph buries Jacob.  It is often called the Cave of the Patriarchs. Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope September 7, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 22   Prayer:  Heavenly Father, We come to you today in awe.  You are almighty and wise but also filled with love and mercy.  And we have the pleasure of experiencing that love and mercy.  Despite our brokenness, you care for us and you continue to walk alongside us.  Thank you, Lord, for your patience.  Help us to focus more on you.  Fill us with a consuming desire to know you better.  Work in us.  Stretch us.  Challenge us.  Convict us.  We love you.  Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through the book of Genesis and today we are looking at Genesis 22.   In our reading for today, we have Abraham almost sacrificing his only son, Isaac.  This passage has always kind of bothered me.  It seems inconsistent with God's character to want Abraham to kill his son.  And remember, when something seems off, we need to dig deeper.  What is God doing here?  In the past, Abraham doubted God.  Think about all the mishaps we have been reading about.  He tried to have children his own way instead of waiting on God.  He repeatedly tried to pass Sarah off as a sister instead of his wife. By asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, God was testing Abraham.  Does Abraham finally trust God?  He is finally ready to trust in God's provision?  I don't think God ever intended harm to come to Isaac.  I think he wanted to see how much Abraham had grown.   Besides that, this passage is a beautiful foretelling of another sacrifice.  God himself sacrificed his only son in order for us to be reconciled to a holy God.  John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.    At the end of the chapter, we find more genealogy.  At first, this seemed out of place.  But when you dig beneath the surface, it actually makes sense.  This genealogy lists the family members of Abraham's brother, Nahor.  Nahor has many descendants, including a granddaughter named Rebekah.  Rebekah will eventually become Isaac's wife.  God has the covenant line all taken care of.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope September 3, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 20   Prayer: Amazing Father and Lord, Thank you for who you are.  Thank you for how you care for us.  We get distracted.  We veer away from you and your Word.  For that, we are so very sorry.  Forgive us, Lord.  Help us to abide in you.  Help us to remain close so that we can be fruitful and effective for your Kingdom.  Help us get outside ourselves and see others as you see them.  Lord, we belong to you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently studying the book of Genesis, and its full of sinfulness, drama, but also a lot of God's mercy.  Today, we are reading Genesis 20.   So, Abraham and Sarah are back on the move, the Scripture saying that they moved toward the south, in a town named Gerar.  Okay, can you believe Abraham tries to pass Sarah off as his sister again?  By this time, Sarah is in her nineties.  Yet, the king, Abimelech, still brings her into his palace.  We could probably spend some time talking about this point, but I'll let it go.  It's just kind of weird.   God intervenes again.  He comes to Abimelech in a dream and tells him that Sarah is Abraham's wife.  God also calls Abimelech a dead man unless he has Abraham pray for him.  Once again, Abraham makes a bad decision, lies, puts his wife in a really vulnerable situation, and God saves him.  It is amazing.  God is going to be sure that he keeps his promise through Abraham.  Despite Abraham's stupidity.    I guess that's good news for us.  God keeps his promises to us, he cares for us, and he shows us mercy, even when we mess up over and over again.  God uses a very flawed man called Abraham to build a nation.  If he can do that, then he can also use you and me.  Maybe it's kind of odd, but this gives me a lot of encouragement.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

Daily Dose of Hope September 2, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 19:30-38   Prayer: Holy God, We pause before you.  We become still, recognizing that you are God.  You are Creator, you are Provider, you are Sustainer.  Thank you, Lord.  We repent for how we have failed you.  We repent for our pride, our anger, our bitterness, our flawed view of others.  We repent for not putting you first.  Forgive us, Lord.  We are broken and sinful people.  Lord, use us anyway.  We pray that you can lead us to a place of healing and peace so that we can then be useful to your Kingdom.  Help us be your servants, open to your leading and direction.  We are yours.  We belong to you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis.  Today's reading is the second half of Genesis 19, verses 30-38.   More drama!  After Lot almost allows his daughters to be gang raped, now they are arranging to have sex with their dad.  Let's just go ahead and say it – this is very dysfunctional, toxic even.    Let's talk about how we got here.  Lot is fearful so he won't live in the town.  Thus, he and his daughters are residing in a cave.  This probably says something about where they are spiritually too.  They are isolated, they are lonely, and they are afraid.  Are they even acknowledging God?  I don't get the impression God Almighty plays much of a role in their everyday lives.  Not because God has moved on, but because they have chosen a path away from Him.   Fear makes people do desperate things and that's what we see in today's text.  The girls are worried that pretty soon, their dad will die and they haven't had any children.  They say there are no men.  Of course, that isn't true.  The nearest town would have plenty of men but they have isolated themselves to the point that they aren't thinking straight.  So, they get their father drunk and have sex with him.  This is really repulsive and it's hard to imagine that these young women would even think of doing this.  It makes me wonder what their past was like.  But we won't go there today.    Bottom line:  Sin spirals downward.  Lot was sinful. His wife sinned.  The girls sinned. The sins of the fathers affect their children.  Sin always has consequences.  Always.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope September 1, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 19:1-29   Prayer: Dear God, We come to you today with sorrow.  We know that we are sinful and broken.  We know that we have fallen short.  We have been disobedient as individuals and as a church.  Lord, please forgive us and show us your better way.  How we need you.  We are lost without you and our behavior so often speaks to that.  Help us seek holiness.  Help us love others the way you love them.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, please help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you...  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis.  Today's reading is the first half of Genesis 19, verses 1-29.   Lot, Abraham's nephew, chose the best land.  It just happened to be that land included some pretty evil cities, both Sodom and Gomorrah.  Their wickedness has been mentioned a few times before this chapter but we get the full experience in chapter 19.    The angels from chapter 18 head over the Sodom.  Lot meets them with a hospitable spirit, offers them a place to stay, and food to eat.  But the men of the town surround Lot's house and demand to have sex with the visiting men.  Not a nice way to welcome people to town.  But instead of standing up to the mob, Lot offered his two daughters for the mob to rape!  What are we to make of this?    It was a sacred duty to care for those under your own roof in the ancient Near East.  Hospitality was a big deal.  But one would think caring for your daughters would be as well.  Lot clearly has some priority issues.  It shows his lack of care for his own daughters, maybe because they are women who have little value in his society, maybe because he was scared, we don't really know.  It's despicable though.  I'm grateful that God's messengers intervened to make sure those girls were safe.   The Bible definitely gives us the whole, ugly truth about people, their sin, their failures, their good choices, and their terrible choices.  God is not lifting them up as an example, but he is allowing us to learn from them.  Lot clearly had compromised his values.  He moved to Sodom.  He rubbed elbows with wicked people.  Something rubbed off on him.  But he allowed it.   The two men, God's messengers, make it clear that Sodom and Gomorrah will be destroyed.  Lot and his family must leave.  The sons-in-law, clearly not having a lot of respect for Lot, laugh at the thought of destruction.  But Lot, his wife, and the two daughters head out of dodge.  But his wife looks back, which God warns them not to do, and she turns into a pillar of salt.  I would have really liked some more information here – what a shock to the family!    Sin has consequences.  We get to see that again and again in Scripture.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope August 31, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 18   Prayer:  Abba Father, We come to you today, grateful for your love and care in our lives.  Thank you for your presence and your peace.  Help us to gather our scattered thoughts and set aside distractions so we can focus on what you have for us today.  In the next few moments of silence, Lord, help me be still and know that you are God...We give you all the glory, Lord Almighty.  Amen.    Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently studying the book of Genesis, learning a lot about God's character and truth, but also realizing how people haven't changed much at all.    Today's reading is Genesis 18.  This is a fascinating chapter.  Three men come to see Abraham.  But we also know that the Scripture says that the Lord appeared to Abraham.  Thus, we can assume that one of the men was actually the Lord in human form.  The other two might have been angels.    It seems that Abraham knew right off the bat that he was in the presence of God.  He runs out to meet the men, he makes sure they are fed the absolute best.  We know Abraham had been in the presence of God before and so there must have been something about the men that Abraham immediately recognized.    I had some thoughts about this.  How often have we encountered God?  How often have we encountered his messengers, the angels?  Are our eyes open to see when a heavenly being visits us?  Think about Hebrews 13:2, which says not to forget to show hospitality to strangers because by doing so, some people have shown hospitality to angels without even knowing it.    The men tell Abraham that within a year, Sarah will be pregnant.  She laughs and God knows it.  He calls her on it.  I don't blame her.  Women in their nineties don't typically think of pregnancy.  But God had willed it and he makes it clear, nothing is too hard for him.  Do you believe that nothing is too hard for God, I mean really?   The Lord shares with Abraham that he plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their horrible wickedness.  It's obvious that Abraham is greatly bothered by this.  He moves into this negotiation with God.  Will God destroy those cities if there are fifty righteous men?  What about forty-five or forty or thirty or twenty or even ten?  God is patient and says that he won't destroy Sodom or Gomorrah if there are even just ten righteous people there.    God's justice is perfect.  He knew that Sodom and Gomorrah needed to be destroyed.  As horrible as they must have been, it's still hard for me to think about such destruction.  I just have to keep going back to that truth:  God's justice is perfect.  He always knows best.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

The Daily Dose of Hope is a devotional intended to provide context and reflection to the New Hope Church Bible Reading Plan.  It's our goal  to read the Bible in a year together as a family of faith.  Five days a week we read.  Two days a week we either rest or catch up.  Reading the Bible is the number one way to grow in our walk with Jesus.  We have to know God's Word to live God's Word.  Now for our Daily Dose of Hope… https://www.findnewhope.com

Daily Dose of Hope August 27, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 16   Prayer:  Amazing Father and Lord, Thank you for who you are.  Thank you for how you care for us.  We get distracted.  We veer away from you and your Word.  For that, we are so very sorry.  Forgive us, Lord.  Help us to abide in you.  Help us to remain close so that we can be fruitful and effective for your Kingdom.  Help us get outside ourselves and see others as you see them.  And help us trust.  Lord, we belong to you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis and this will be followed by a deep dive into Exodus.  Today's reading is Genesis 16.   Yesterday, God reinforces his covenant with Abram that he will be the father of many nations.  God promises to give Abram and Sarai a son but when it doesn't happen in their timing, they decide to take matters in their own hands.  Sarai devises a plan to have Abram sleep with her handmaid, Haggar, in order to bear him a son.  When Haggar does get pregnant, Sarai isn't happy at all.  Despite the fact that this was all her idea, Sarai becomes furious with Haggar and abuses her.  Haggar leaves and heads into the desert, a dangerous scenario for a pregnant handmaid in those days.  But God meets her there.  He sends an angel who tells her to go back to Sarai and promises that her son, Ishmael, will be a strong and defiant man.    I used to read this Scripture and really burn with anger toward Sarai.  Why was she so mean to Haggar and why didn't she just trust God to begin with?  But over the years, I've realized how often I take matters into my own hands, I don't wait for God's timing, I jump the gun and say and do things without listening to God's clear instructions to wait on him.  While I in no way condone her treatment of Haggar, it's easy to see how she burned with jealousy.  She wanted to be the one who was pregnant with Abram's child!  She wanted to see God's promise come true right now!!!  Of course, we know the end of the story.  God's mercies are so very good.  He cared for Haggar in her hour of need, and he cared with Sarai, despite her disobedience.  And God also cares for us, despite ours.    What's fascinating to me about this power couple, Abram and Sarai, is how very normal they are.  They have times in which they make such crazy choices that leave us scratching our heads and then they have times in which their obedience toward God is incredible.  Maybe we are kind of that way as well.  Sometimes, I feel like I take two steps forward and one step back.  Abram and Sarai were not that different.   More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope August 26, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 15   Prayer: Today we pray an ancient prayer from St Ambrose of Milan, who lived from 337-397 AD...O Lord, who has mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of Your Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore You, a heart to delight in You, to follow and to enjoy You, for Christ's sake.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis and this will be followed by a deep dive into Exodus.  Today's reading is Genesis 15.   In today's reading, God reinforces his covenant with Abram.  But I want to go to the very beginning of the chapter when God tells Abram, in a vision, to not be afraid.  Let's not forget that Abram just finished a major battle and he had every reason to expect an attack from one of the enemy kings.  But God tells him that He, the Lord, will be Abram's shield.  God is going to protect him.   And then there is this interesting dialogue between God and Abram about Abram's heir.  Abram tells God that while God has given him wealth and now protection, what good is any of it if he doesn't have an heir?  He doesn't hold in his frustration.  Abram is honest with God about his frustrations and fears.  Just FYI, we can always be honest with God about our frustrations and fears.  God knows anyway.   So, this is when God reinforces the covenant that he made with Abram.  God promises that Abram's descendants will be as plentiful as stars in the sky.  It is clear and Abram believes (he has faith in God), but he expects it to be soon.  Yet in the chronology of Abram's life, the fulfillment of this promise was still 15 years away.  God's timing is often very different from our own timing.   The chapter ends in an interesting way.  God has Abram fall asleep.  He then prophesies that Abraham's descendants will be in slavery for 400 years (we know this happens in Egypt) and that God will ensure that those descendants eventually gain wealth and be able to return to the land God promised them.    God's plan is in place.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope August 25, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 14   Prayer:  Heavenly Father, We come before you today in awe of your Word. Thank you for speaking to us through Scripture.  Help us commit to being grounded in your truth.  Help us make learning more about you a priority.  We get so distracted!  The world comes at us from all sides.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis and this will be followed by a deep dive into Exodus.  Today's reading is Genesis 14.   In today's reading, we have the first recorded battle in Genesis.  It's also the only time Abram is connected to warfare (who knew he had so many armed men at his disposal?)  You might have noticed here that Abram is called a Hebrew as well.    But what is going on?  Remember that Abram and Lot are now living in separate places.  Lot actually lived in Sodom, which happened to be captured in the battle described in verses 1-11.  Lot is taken captive.    Now, God has promised to protect and care for Abram and it seems he is finally trusting in that.  Abram goes into battle to save his nephew and is very successful.  He meets up with two kings, Melchizedek (Salem's priestly king) and the king of Sodom.  Melchizedek comes with wine, food, and blessings.  The king of Sodom comes with his hand out.  These were obviously very different kings, which seem to further highlight the difference between Abram and Lot.  Abram is upstanding and generous, not worried about wealth or property.  Lot is living in what we will learn is a sinful place, possibly hanging out with the wrong people, and espousing values that are very different from Abram's.   I want to just briefly touch on King Melchizedek.  If his name sounds familiar, it may because the author of Hebrews says that Jesus is a priest and king, in the order of Melchizedek.  What does this mean?  Well, Jesus was not in the family line of priests.  His appointment as high priest and king came directly from God.  This is similar to Melchizedek, who is kind of mysterious figure, a king-priest which would have been highly unusual.  We have no evidence that Melchizedek's kingship or priestship were inherited.  Yet, he is called a priest of the most high God.  Did God directly appoint him too?  We really don't know, but it is fascinating that the author of Hebrews makes this connection.   More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope August 24, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 13   Prayer:   Lord, How we need you.  Thank you for your presence, thank you for the way you continue to pursue us.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis and this will be followed by a deep dive into Exodus.  So far, Genesis has been filled with lots of truth and lots of drama.  Let's see what today holds.   The reading for today is Genesis 13.  Abram, Sarai, Lot, and all their herdsmen and animals came back from Egypt.  The two men are so wealthy now that the land where they previously lived just couldn't sustain both households.  Plus, their herdsmen were bickering.  So Abram comes up with a plan to separate the two households.  He gives Lot the option which land to take, and he would go in the other direction.  Lot goes to the plain of Jordan and Abram heads to Canaan.   Let's just say Abram handles this situation really well.  He deals with conflict in a very selfless way.  The crowded land and the arguing herdsmen could have ended up with a much different ending.  But Abram doesn't hold on tight to anything; he lets Lot take the best land for himself.  He is not greedy and he trusts God to make sure he and his own household are taken care of.   Possibly as a result of Abram's wisdom and selflessness, God reinforces the covenant he made with Abram.  These are the words he uses, which are pretty powerful, Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for I will give all the land which you see to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring may also be counted. Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its width; for I will give it to you."   God is a God who keeps his promises.  He is going to build a people through Abram.  Are we beginning to see a new and different Abram that has grown in maturity and trust?  I hope so.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

Daily Dose of Hope August 21, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 12   Prayer:  Almighty Father, You always know what is best for us.  Thank you for that.  We are sorry for the ways that we resist.  Help us to want what you want for us.  Help us to want to be patient, to want to be kind, to want to be obedient.  Conform our will, Lord, In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the books of Genesis and Exodus.  Today, our reading is Genesis 12.    In today's reading, we have the call of Abram.    The first eleven chapters of Genesis were a broad sweeping narrative. God is beginning to reveal himself to a specific group of people and it all begins here.  God commands Abram to leave his native land, and his father's home, to go to a land God would show him.  God is asking him, as age 75, to leave the old and go to something totally new and different.  If Abram does what God asks, God promises to give him wealth and many descendants.  He will be blessed.   What's most interesting to me is that Abram does it.  We aren't privy to any of the behind the scenes discussion.  Did Abram think about saying no?  I mean, the man was 75.  He was pretty established.  We don't know if he deliberated.  Regardless, he says yes.  He obeys.  Interestingly, if you look at the Hebrew, the call to go was really just to Abram as an individual.  It didn't include wife and family.  But Abram brings Sarai and his nephew, Lot.  They bring their whole household.  I can only imagine the conversation between Sarai and Abram.  She also would have to battle fear and uncertainly.   There are a number of call stories in the Bible.  It usually involves God calling an individual person, followed by some kind of commission or promise.  When God calls a person, there usually isn't a lot of attention to the impact on their families, such as in this situation.  Yet, a call by God will impact not only the person called but everyone around them.    I can remember when God called me to full-time ministry.  It was a very clear call (a story for another time) and it couldn't have happened in a more complicated season of my life.  I had three young kids, Richard worked a stressful job, and money was tight.  I couldn't imagine going back to school.  And yet, the call was real.  Would I say yes or no?  In my case, I felt like there was only one answer.  I had to obey.   Have you ever felt God call you to do something?  God doesn't call all of us to full-time ministry but he does call all of us.  God may be calling you to a particular kind of service in the church or in the community.  He may be calling you to give of your resources.  He might be calling you to reconcile a relationship.  Take some time today and pray about God's call on your life.   Now, I wish I could stop there today but there is no way I can finish the devotional without mentioning Abram and Sarai in Egypt.  They traveled there due to a famine.  Once there, Abram passes Sarai off as his sister rather than his wife and she is taken into the palace.  He feared that otherwise Pharoah would kill him to take Sarai, who must have been quite stunning.  Almost immediately, God intervenes in the situation with plagues.   If God had not intervened, Pharoah would not have known that Sarai was Abram's wife and Abram would not have had a son by Sarai in fulfillment of God's promise to him. Let's be real - Abram was absolutely in the wrong here, but God graciously intervened in order to keep his covenant with Abram.  God plans to use Abram, despite his mess-ups!   One of the more comforting things about reading these texts is realizing just how much these heroes of the faith messed up.  They were far from perfect and God uses them anyway.  That bodes well for us.  Now, it's time for our going deeper discussion with Emmy... Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope August 20, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 11   Prayer: Dear Holy God, Your love is amazing.  Thank you for the way you care for us.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, help us focus on you...Lord Jesus, help us set aside every distraction and take this time to lean on you.  We want to hear your voice.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the books of Genesis and Exodus.  Today, our reading is Genesis 11.    This is the Tower of Babel passage. About a century after Noah, there were people who decided to make a name for themselves by building a high tower, higher and more powerful than any other building ever created, so high it would reach the heavens.  This was a tower of pride and arrogance.  They thought that by creating this tower, they could be strong and unified as a people, and it would keep them from having to multiply and spread throughout the earth.  God had told them to be fruitful and multiply.  They wanted to be strong and remain planted in one place, solidifying their power.  They wanted to grow in greatness and fame.    So God intervenes.  In keeping with his promise, God doesn't send a flood or another terrible calamity.  He intervenes by making it so they can't communicate with one another.  You can't be strong and unified if you can't understand each other.  And so they were scattered all over the earth.    Here is where we begin to see an interesting shift.  God is no longer going to seek a relationship with all the world's nations.  Rather, this is when he begins to seek a relationship with one nation.  He would enter into covenant with a new people that did not yet exist – Israel.   The rest of the chapter is more genealogy. We see how the focus is moving from the scattered nations to one specific bloodline.  God's promises will still be fulfilled but in a slightly different way through a different group of people.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope August 19, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 10   Prayer: Almighty God, As we move into a new day, we pray that today will be a day that we see glimpses of your glory.  We need you, we yearn for you.  Lord, help us set aside our distractions and settle our scattered thoughts so we can focus on you and you alone.  In the next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers... In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis, which will be followed by a deep dive into Exodus.  I think you have already realized there is a lot of substance in these chapters!  Today, our reading is Genesis 10.    Let's start out by stating that this isn't the most interesting chapter.  It's the list of the clans of Noah's sons.  But if we look a little closer, we realize there is much to learn in this chapter.   In the previous chapter, we learned about Ham and his curse.  His sons are listed here is verse 6.  They are Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan.  You probably immediately notice Egypt and Canaan, and we notice that for generations, they were the enemies of God's people.  But there is more.  In verse 8, we read that Ham's son, Cush, is the father of Nimrod.  Nimrod was a tremendous warrior and his kingdom was centered in Babylon (who eventually conquered the Southern Kingdom of Judah) and Shinar, where the tower of Babel was built (we will read about that tomorrow).  Nimrod's territory also extends into Assyria (who conquered the Northern Kingdom) and he builds the famous city of Ninevah.    In verse 13, we read that Ham's son, Egypt, is the father of the Kasluhites.  That is the group from which the Philistines were descended.  In verse 14, we read that Ham's son, Canaan is the father of Sidon.  From Sidon came the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, and Hivites – all of whom were removed from the Promised Land by Joshua and the Hebrew army.   It is fascinating to see how many of the cities, nations, and tribes, descended from Ham, become outright enemies of God's people.  That curse was real, my friends.   I know that genealogies can be boring, but they are included for a reason.  If we look deeper, what we realize is that these genealogies can unlock so much of the Old Testament.  Often, they even pave the way for the New Testament, and explain nuances that we just don't get unless we look beneath the surface.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope August 18, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 9:18-28   Prayer: Holy God, We come before you today in humility and awe.  You are a good God.  You, who put the stars and planets in motion, also created us.  You care about the most minute details of our lives.  You have numbered the hairs on our head.  Thank you for loving us.  Thank you for caring so much.  Help us be put even a small reflection of your love toward those around us.  More of you and less of me, Jesus.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis, which will be followed by a deep dive into Exodus.  I think you have already realized there is a lot of substance in these chapters!  Today, our reading is the second half of Genesis 9.    Although the judgment of the flood changed the earth, it did not change the heart of humans, which is still inherently sinful.  Today's reading is strange.  Most of you probably noticed that.  But I don't think the point of the story is Noah's drunkenness.  Rather, the point is that even though we have this beautiful renewed earth and humans are given a second chance, sin is still rearing its ugly head.   Let's go deeper.  The Scripture says that Noah, as the new Adam, is a man of the ground, which means he was a farmer.  He plants a vineyard and gets drunk on his wine.  Here is where things get odd.  In his drunken state, Noah is naked in his tent.  Thus, his nakedness was seen by his three sons.  Most of us would say, well who cares?  Not that big a deal.  But there is more here than we can see on the surface.  What does it mean that the three sons "saw Noah's nakedness?"   There are different theories.  One is simply that Ham saw his dad naked and didn't do anything to cover him up.  He then shared this bit of gossip with his brothers.  That is the most straightforward, but it seems a little extreme that his father would then curse him and his sons forever.    More scholars tend to think that some kind of sexual sin occurred here.  Some think that Ham sexually assaulted his father and others think he assaulted his mother, who was most likely laying next to Noah.  Regardless, it was bad and then he went and told his brothers.   His brothers had more wisdom.  In contrast to Ham, Shem and Japheth went to great trouble to cover up their father and not look at his naked body.  They actually walk backwards so they don't have to see his exposed parts.  And they end up being blessed for this.   And Ham ends up being cursed.  Actually, its his son, Canaan, who really gets the curse.  This is a painful lesson.  When we sin, we make the assumption that we are going to bear the consequences of that sin.  But with so many things, it isn't just the sinner who bears the sin, it's their offspring and future generations.  The sin of Ham results in the Canaanites being cursed – they become horribly perverse in the next few hundred years.  In fact, the Canaanites are often held up as an example of how we are not supposed to be.  The whole Canaanite culture was shaped by Ham's sin.    It isn't until Jesus that we see this begin to change.  I think of the Canaanite woman who begs Jesus to heal her daughter who is suffering.  It's an odd exchange in the Scripture (look up Matthew 15 or Mark 7), and she and Jesus have dialogue about how even the dogs get to eat their owners' scraps.  In the end, Jesus is amazed by both her wit and her faith.  Her daughter is healed.  And Jesus shows us that his mercy and love now extend even to the Canaanites.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope August 17, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 9:1-17   Prayer:  Dear Holy God, Your love is amazing.  Thank you for the way you care for us.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, help us focus on you...Lord Jesus, help us set aside every distraction and take this time to lean on you.  We want to hear your voice.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently deep-diving into the book of Genesis.  Today's reading is the first half of Genesis 9.   It's in this part of chapter 9 that God reestablishes his relationship with fallen humanity with a covenant, a binding agreement, a promise of sorts. Let's go back to today's scripture, Let's look at the exact wording, "I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants, and with all the animals that were on the boat with you—the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals—every living creature on earth. Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth."  And God says that the rainbow in the sky will be a sign of this covenant that God will never, ever again choose destruction as a means to deal with the evil and sin of humanity.   What's interesting to me here is it almost appears that God regrets what he did. Maybe regret isn't the right word. God struggles with what had to happen. I think on some level, we get a picture of the tension between God's sense of justice and God's sense of love and mercy. God saw the hearts of human beings and was grieved by the evil that was present there. I think God is still grieved by the evil that is present in people ---this certainly has not gone away. We see sin and evil all over the world, in how people seem to have this capacity to demonstrate appalling cruelty toward other human beings. This has been a reality for centuries and centuries and it's a reality today. And it still grieves the heart of God.   But what we see in the covenant with Noah is that God, knowing that humans aren't going to change, will change how he deals with us. God commits to find another way to redeem his creation --- no more worldwide floods or total calamity.  Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.   So what will God do instead? God still takes evil seriously but God will deal with evil differently. Really, all the stories that follow this one show how God lives out his faithfulness in different ways, eventually culminating in the coming of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. God judges but God also redeems, over and over and over again.   Evil will be dealt with, but it will be dealt with in a different way, one in which all people can be redeemed and reconciled to a holy God who loves them and wants to be in relationship with.    Some more thoughts on this: 1.        We continue to be in God's care. This is a covenant for all time - it isn't cancelled out by subsequent covenants. The rainbow is God's cupped hand over the earth reminding us of his care and concern for the whole world. Wherever you are, whoever you are, you depend on God and on the earth, which is his gift to us. You may not think you do, but all we have is from God. We are in his care. 2.        God is in covenant with all living creatures. All the creatures all over the face of this earth belong to God first. They exist for God and not simply for us. God has concern for all of earth's creatures. Psalm 104:24, How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. The world isn't just about us. God loves all the creatures, God loves all of creation, not just humanity. And thus, we should see to the welfare of the wider world in which we find ourselves. We are stewards of God's creation. How we treat it matters. How we treat what God loves matters. 3.        This is the beginning of God's plan of salvation and redemption. God's will is the renewal of all creation, the whole earth. Saving individual human beings is part of God's mission but God's desire is to redeem all people and all of creation.  The amazing and totally humbling thing is that he calls us to help him achieve this mission, to put things right. And we as the church, we are the primary vehicle for which God calls us to put things right. In light of the story of Noah and God's ever-lasting covenant with his creation, how might he be calling us to put things right?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope August 14, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 8   Prayer: Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, That my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, That my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, That I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, To defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, That I always may be holy. Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently deep-diving into the book of Genesis.  Today's reading is Genesis 8.   Can you imagine what life was like on that ark?  That was a long time to be hanging out just with family and a LOT of animals!  I have all kinds of logistical questions but I will save those for another day.    I think one of the best lines of this whole chapter is in verse 1, But God remembered Noah...  God remembered Noah, his family, and all those animals.  God remembered that ark floating over the floodwaters.  God remembered Noah when the waters kept rising.  God was always with Noah.  We certainly don't have any indication that Noah did anything but trust God.  We don't have any Scripture that indicates that Noah, after a few weeks, started panicking that God had left him on that ark to die with a bunch of stinky animals.  Not at all.  God remembered Noah.    God remembered Noah so he sent a wind to cause the floodwaters to recede.  The word wind here is actually the Hebrew word, ruach, which is generally translated as Spirit.  You guys, this was the Holy Spirit!  It was the Holy Spirit that caused the flood waters to recede so that Noah and the animals could find dry land.  The Holy Spirit saw the need and took care of things.   Our God doesn't forget.  I want you to be assured that God remembers you too.  Whatever "flood" or hardship you might be going through, please know that God remembers you too.  Call upon the Holy Spirit to meet you at your point of need and he will.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope August 13, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 7   Prayer:  Lord, our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth!  We magnify your precious and powerful name.  How often we forget how mighty you are.  You created all.  You created us.  Thank you, Lord, for who you are.  Most of all, thank you for loving us with all our flaws and brokenness.  In all we do, in who we are, help us to be more like you.  We pray for humility, mercy, and compassion.  Help us see others through your eyes.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently deep-diving into the book of Genesis.  Today's reading is Genesis 7.   Judgement day has arrived.  While I am very familiar with this story, it is still hard to read.  People were working and doing their normal routine.  They had no idea what was coming.  But then the floodwaters came.  Everything was destroyed.   There are a few reflections for me in this text:   1.        I'm not always going to understand God's decisions, but I can still trust them.  God knows and sees things that I cannot see.  He has an eternal plan in mind.  He knew what the people were capable of and he decided to do something about it.  That is why he is God and I am not.  But God has always taken care of me and has never let me down.  He has always been faithful.  I can just trust that his way is best.   2.        Our sin grieves God.  God was so upset about the sins of the people.  He hates sin and evil.  He was grieving so much that he wished he hadn't even created humans.  I wonder how often he thinks that today too.  But it does put things in perspective to think that when I sin, God is grieved.   3.        God sometimes asks us to do really big things.  He asked Noah to build an ark on dry land.  Noah was obedient.  How many times does God ask us to do something big for him and we dismiss it or talk ourselves out of it?  I do this a lot!  But if God asks us to something significant, he is going to give us the ability, tools, and strength to do it.  Is God asking you to do something big right now?  Have you asked him?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope August 12, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 6   Prayer:  Almighty God, We come to you today with humble hearts.  We are broken and we need you.  Help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you this morning.  Help us set aside distractions so we might hear your voice.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, help us just focus on Jesus...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently deep-diving into the book of Genesis.  Today's reading is Genesis 6.   The first part of this chapter is very strange.  Let me just go ahead and say that.  Who were the sons of God and the daughters of men?  It is beginning to sound more like Greek mythology than the Bible.  What is going on here?  There are several possible options.   The first theory is that the sons of God are fallen angels.  In the Old Testament, the phrase sons of God elsewhere refers to angels, particularly in the book of Job. But a problem with this theory is Jesus' statement in Matthew 22:30, which indicates that angels do not marry. There really isn't any evidence in Scripture to make us believe that angels have a gender or the ability to reproduce.   Other theories are that the sons of God are powerful human rulers or godly descendants of Seth who intermarried with wicked descendants of Cain.  But human males marrying ordinary human females does not account for why the offspring were "giants" or "heroes of old, men of renown."  Additionally, why would God be so angry as to send the flood if he never specifically forbade these powerful humans or descendants of Seth to marry ordinary human women or descendants of Cain?  It seems that the flood and God's judgment is linked to this section of Genesis 6.  Such harsh consequences points to very horrible sin.  Marriage and mating between fallen angels with human women would seem to qualify.   What about Matthew 22:30 when Jesus says that angels do not marry?  Well, the fact that God's holy angels do not marry does not mean that Satan cannot pervert sexuality in this world.  We've seen in Scripture that angels can appear in human form.  Thus, fallen angels could possibly marry and have sexual intercourse with human women, and it would make sense that God would be really, really angry about that.  I would love your thoughts on this.   This leads into how corrupt the world had become.  Humanity had become so very evil, so much so that God regretted making people.  And God basically decides to clean everything up.  So he has Noah build an ark.  He and his family will be the remnant remaining to restart humanity.   I've had hard conversations with people about this passage.  I mean, what kind of god would kill all the living over all the earth except for one family and a few animals?  How do we explain this to our unbelieving friends?   When we look at this story through modern eyes, it is really harsh.  But we have to at least try to look at through the viewpoint of the ancient audience.  God is incredibly sorrowful, grieving even, over the sinfulness of his creation.  He isn't mean and wrathful, like the gods of the Mesopotamians and the other ancient nations.  He doesn't plan on randomly striking people down.  He is still a saving God.  There is only one faithful person on the earth and God plans to save him and his family.  God is intentional, rather than impulsive.  He has a plan for humanity and he will carry it out.    More on this tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

Daily Dose of Hope August 11, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 5   Prayer: Almighty Father, Thank you that your mercies are new every morning.  Thank you, that no matter what this week has held, we can come to you and start over.  We are grateful for your forgiveness.  We are so very grateful for your care and your love.  Help us, Lord, to set aside our distractions, to set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you right now.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis.  Today, our reading is Genesis 5.   This chapter details the family line from Adam to Noah.  It's a lot of names and ages.  If we were to look at the ages of these patriarchs as we understand chronological ages in the modern age, then we are looking at some really, really old people!  And I should mention that some people do take these ages very literally and actually use them to try to date the earth.  Most scholars don't believe that is the intention of the author at all.  The real question we need to examine is:  What do the words mean in the language and culture in which they were written?    If you look at Scripture, sometimes numbers are used like they are today.  Ten cubits actually means ten cubits. But other times in the ancient literature, including the Bible, numbers are used numerologically. That means a number's symbolic value could be used to convey mystical or sacred meanings other than just its numerical value.    If we look at Genesis 5 as a whole, there are really a wide variety of ages mentioned.  Adam lives to be 930, Mahalalel lives to be 895, Jered to 962, and Methuselah to be 969.  If they all were round numbers like 500 or 1000, then that would make us question the implausibility of these ages.  But the ages listed are very, very specific.  What are we to make of this?  This is where I had to do some real research because I'm getting over my head.   This is what BioLogos, a website that deals specifically with science and faith proposed:   There are 30 age numbers we can get from Genesis chapter 5—three numbers for each of ten patriarchs: the age when a son was born, the number of years the patriarch lived after the son was born, and the total number of years the patriarch lived.    The first thing more careful observation reveals about these 30 numbers is that all of them end with the digits 0, 2, 5, 7, or 9. You might not think that is too remarkable until you realize that it eliminates half of the possible numbers. It is like seeing a list of 30 numbers that are all even. We wouldn't think that was a random distribution of numbers. In fact, the odds of getting all thirty numbers to end with just these "approved" digits in a random distribution of ages are about one in a hundred million. That should make us suspicious that Genesis 5 is merely giving a historical report. Something else must be going on here.   One option is attaching some significance to the fact that all of the 30 numbers can be expressed as combinations of the two "sacred" numbers 60 and 7 in terms of years and months. 60 was culturally significant because it was the number that Babylonian mathematics was based on (the influence of this system is still felt today with our 60 minutes per hour and 60 seconds per minute). And 7, of course, has a prominent place in biblical symbolism beginning with the Sabbath. So when we're told that Methuselah was 187 years when he had his son Lamech (v. 25) we can see that 187 = 60+60+60+7 years. And then because 60 months = 5 years, when Adam is said to be 130 years at the birth of his son Seth (v. 3), that can be expressed as (60+60 years) + (60+60 months).   The question is whether it is a better explanation to interpret the numbers as having some symbolic or rhetorical significance to the original audience (even if we don't know what that is), or that they were just a straightforward listing of numbers the way we would use them today. Knowing what we do about the culture, and in the absence of any persuasive reasons for thinking that the ages of these men were so radically different than they are today, it seems that a symbolic or rhetorical interpretation is a legitimate option and maybe even a preferable one.   So, now that we have stretched our brains a bit, I'll stop.  The bottom line is that it's complicated.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope August 10, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 4   Prayer:  Abba Father, You are our Creator, Provider, and Sustainer.  Thank you, Lord, for wanting to be in relationship with us. You are a God who sits high and looks low.  You, who are over everything, also care deeply for us.  We are so grateful.  Help us do all we can to glorify you.  We desperately need you, Jesus.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into Genesis and Exodus.  Right now, we are in the beginning of Genesis; today's reading is Genesis 4.   Let's talk a bit about this chapter.  The sons of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, give God a first fruits offering. A first fruit offering is when we give God the first and best of a harvest or flock before we have used any of it.  So, Abel gives God his best, the fat of his firstborn of his animals, the best of the best; Cain gives God some veggies, but obviously not his best. Why did Cain hold back on God? We don't know, but we begin to get a sense of his heart. So, not surprisingly, God is pleased with Abel's offering but not Cain's. What's interesting is that Cain isn't sorry, he doesn't show remorse. Rather, he gets angry.   So, God confronts Cain and gives him a chance to change his offering. Cain must know the right thing but he is refusing to do it. He is refusing to give God his best. His attitude is terrible. And God knows this. God knows exactly what he is thinking, he knows the anger and jealousy that he has allowed to grow in his heart. And God gives him a warning. "Cain, be careful, because sin in crouching at your door. It is right there. If you don't get this in check, then things are only going to get worse. Watch yourself." But Cain doesn't heed God's guidance.  In fact, he ends up killing his brother!   God decides to punish Cain by making him a wanderer.  He will no longer work the land.  We might think of a wonderer in this instance as a nomadic person.  This means Cain will no longer have the protection of his home and village but will be banished from the land and live a nomadic lifestyle, which means being exposed to all kinds of dangers. And while I think Cain is getting off kind of easy here, he is devastated.   The story ends with a token of God's grace. Cain tells God how scared he is of all that is out there. And God, in his compassion, gives Cain a mark. We have no idea what the mark is but it was a mark that meant he would be protected. No wild tribe could kill him as he slept in his tent. He would go with God's protection. Truly God's grace when he totally didn't deserve it. God is good.   Bottom line:  Cain and Abel had a dysfunctional relationship characterized by comparison and jealousy. And my guess is it didn't start with this one story. The kind of anger and jealousy that Cain demonstrated tends to grow over time.    A few reflections:   ·      Friends, sin is always crouching at our door.  But we have a choice. We don't have to give into it. We don't have to choose sin. There are a lot of things in life that we have no control over, but we always, always have a choice how we respond. Maybe Cain didn't like farming.  God chose that for him and he didn't have a lot of choice there.  But Cain did have a choice when it came to his first fruits.  He did have a choice how he responded to his brother.   This is the thing, we don't typically stumble into sin. We make choices to allow sin to seep into our hearts and lives. Maybe we don't think of it as a choice but it is. We open the door to "small" sins by allowing things to seep into our heart. If I am jealous, if I am bitter, if I harbor serious resentment, if I say unkind things about people behind their back, those things affect our heart. Whether you are aware of it or not, these sins create a wedge between us and God. Not only do they keep us from growing in our walk with Jesus, but they make it so much easier for us to allow more sin to seep in.   ·      God knows our hearts. God knew Cain's heart. There is nothing we can hide from God. Cain couldn't hide his jealousy and greed from God. Even before Cain gave his sub-par veggie offering, God knew. God knew his heart wasn't in it, that he was holding back. God knew that Cain was harboring a lot of anger toward his brother, hence his warning that sin was crouching at the door.   ·      Comparison never turns out well.  Scripture doesn't offer us a lot of details about the relationship between Cain and Abel. I can't help but think there was a history there. A history of comparison. A history of ill will. He obviously compared himself to Abel. But regardless, when we compare ourselves to others, it never turns out well. Either it leads to pride (if we think we're better) or sorrow if we think we are not.  Comparison is the death of joy. Comparison of jobs, comparison of salaries, comparisons of children, comparisons of appearance.. You get the point. Comparison never ends well. This has been the hardest thing for me to learn. That I'm good enough the way I am. That God created me and designed me. And that the only thing that matters is the AUDIENCE of ONE   ·      God's grace is always present. Cain killed someone. The typical punishment for murder would have been death, but God doesn't do that. He makes him a nomad. Even then, Cain is highly distressed that he won't be safe out wandering the area alone. He is worried about being attacked or killed out in the world. So God extends more grace by giving him some kind of mark that would protect him for the remainder of his days.   No matter what we've done, no matter what's been done to us, no matter how dire our circumstances may seem, God's grace is always present. God's grace was extended to Cain, God's grace was extended to the complaining Israelites over and over again, God's grace was extended to David, God's grace was offered to the world through Jesus' death on the cross, God's grace is available to us today.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope August 7, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 3   Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are almighty and all-powerful.  You are God of all and yet you care for us.  Thank you, Lord.  Help us settle our scattered thoughts and be silent before you...Thank you, Jesus.  Please guide us as we reflect on your Word today.  Meet us in the midst of our reading and this devotional.  In Your Name, Amen.      Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We started a new reading plan this week – a deep dive into Genesis and Exodus.  Today's reading was Genesis 3.   Genesis 3 describes what we typically call the fall.  God had designed a perfect world for Adam and Eve. That was the original design. They had food to eat. They wandered around talking to God. There was nothing bad, no sickness, no pain, no problems. Life was perfect. The only thing they couldn't do was decide for themselves the difference between right and wrong – that was God's job.  And while the whole garden was theirs, there was one tree that was off limits.  We could blame Adam and Eve's disobedience on the serpent – I mean, he was crafty.  But it was really their fault.  They knew the rules.  They chose to go a different way.  They rejected God.  They failed to trust that he knew best.   God could have designed it so that Adam and Eve would have been forced to love him and follow his rules. But God wanted them, just like he wants us, to actually choose to love him. Think about what it would be like if you could force someone to love you – is that really love? No, of course not. And God wanted humans to have free choice and to freely choose to follow him. He wanted people to choose to reciprocate his love. Adam and Eve had a choice – they could choose God's path or their own.  When they chose their own way, that is the fall, that is when sin entered the world.   And when sin entered the world with Adam, it became pervasive.  If you compare sin to a disease, there became a pandemic of sin--- it was like Adam messed up and everyone after him did too; everyone after him became infected.  It also certainly pointed out humanity's rebellious nature.  This follows us everywhere.  We will see it in the chapters to come, in all of the Bible, and we see it around the world today.  Sin is everywhere and the consequences of sin are everywhere.  And it gets in the way of our relationship with God.    There is only one answer to sin and that's Jesus.  But more about that to come.   Let's now move into our going deeper discussion with Emmy Roberts...

Daily Dose of Hope August 6, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 2   Prayer:  Holy God, We come before you today rejoicing in your powerful name.  Thank you for who you are and all you do.  Thank you for loving us.  Help us gather our scattered thoughts, help us set aside distractions, and truly focus on you right now.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, we want to hear your voice...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We have just begun a new reading plan – a deep dive into Genesis and Exodus.    Yesterday, we talked about the first creation narrative in Genesis 1 and the concept of creation in general.  Genesis 2 actually begins with the end of the first creation narrative.  It says that on the seventh day, God rested after doing all the work of creation.  It then reads, ... God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. I want to be clear here.  God didn't rest because he was tired and needed a nap.  God does not get tired, God never grows weary.  God rested to create a model, or template, for us.  We work for six days and on the seventh day, we rest.  And then God reiterates this in the Ten Commandments, as the fourth commandment is to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.    What is your experience with Sabbath?  I'll be honest.  Until a few years ago, I just didn't take it that seriously.  I guess I treated it like a suggestion.  If I needed to work, I worked.  In ministry, you can literally work every day, all day long, if you so choose.  There is always plenty to do.  But then God got a hold of me.  I was tired and drained, I knew something had to give.  I was not keeping Sabbath.    What I learned is that Sabbath is a gift.  It's a command but it's also a gift that God gives us.  We are more than what we produce.  Our identity is found in God, not in what we do.  I had to learn to trust God to make sure that on my Sabbath, the rest of the world would not fall apart.  That sounds silly, but I do think when we don't remember Sabbath, it's a lack of trust.  But God can take care of it.  He can take care of all of it.  Okay, off the soapbox.  Let's move on.   By verse 4 of chapter 2, we begin the second creation narrative.  Notice the sequence of creation is very different than in chapter 1.  Then, we are introduced to the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve.  Genesis 2 provides a picture of how humans are put in this perfect place, Eden, and given full access to their loving creator.  God is seen as a craftsman, a gardener, and even a builder.  Think about it, God created a perfect world for Adam and Eve, a world without greed, violence, pollution, or death.  It was perfect:  the people of God in the place of God dwelling in the presence of God.  They had community with one another and lived with no shame.  They could do anything they wanted except decide for themselves what is good and what is evil (that was Yahweh's responsibility) AND we know that didn't turn out so well (more on that tomorrow).    Just because creation narrative 1 and 2 are different, does not mean they conflict.  In fact, they were intended to complement each other.  They weren't placed side by side in Genesis by accident.  Remember, the Bible is not a scientific text.  It wasn't intended to provide dates, times, or geological evidence.  It is theological – it teaches us about God and his relationship to us.  In Genesis 1, we get the intro creation narrative.  It really sets us the whole Bible.  Then, in Genesis 2, we learn about Adam and Eve placed in Eden.  We get a picture of God's desire for humans to be in community.  We also get a picture for God's perfect design for his world.  He never intended the world to be broken and sinful – that happens because of our rebelliousness.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope August 5, 2026   Scripture: Genesis 1   Prayer:  Holy God, We come before you with humility and expectation as we start a new reading plan, going deep into Genesis and Exodus.  Thank you for the opportunity to read your Word and hear your voice.  We want to hear from you today.    Thank you for another day, another chance to be a change agent in our world, your world.  Guide us, Lord.  Guide our words, actions, and thoughts.  We want to be more like you.  Help us see others as you see them.  We love you.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  Today, we begin a new reading plan – a deep dive into Genesis and Exodus.  So, we get to go back to the very beginning, really the very beginning of all time – Genesis 1.    In Genesis 1, we read about God creating the world and everything in it in six days and resting on the seventh day (the rest portion is actually in Genesis 2).  God declares everything he made good and the humans were very good.  The human beings were actually made in God's image.  The Scripture is very clear on this.  To be made in God's image is to be made to reflect God's character and values.  And because we are made in his image, this means we have inherent worth.  All human beings, every single person, has value and worth because they are made in the image of the Almighty God.    This text gives a beautiful over-arching picture of creation, emphasizing the transcendence of God, and it provides the introduction for the rest of the book of Genesis and the Bible as a whole.  As we move into Genesis 2 tomorrow, you will see that there really are two different creation accounts.  The purpose of each creation story is different but I believe they actually complement one another.  We will get into that a bit more tomorrow.   What I really want to focus on today is the concept of creation itself because it sets the scene for the whole Biblical narrative.  Just for some context, the Bible wasn't intended to be a science textbook.  The author of Genesis wasn't concerned with chronological or geological details.  The right question for us to ask is not HOW exactly did creation occur.  The author wasn't trying to give us a good answer about dinosaurs or young earth or old earth.  Rather, this was about explaining the truth about who God is and what God expects of his people.  The question is not HOW but WHO and WHY.    It was Yahweh, GOD, who created.  That is clear from the very beginning.  God created the heavens and the earth and then everything on the earth.  But why?    And this is a hugely important question.  Let's start here:  God didn't "need" creation.  He didn't need us; he wasn't lonely.  He didn't create us because he needed a friend.  Maybe that sounds silly but it is critical.  The Biblical picture we have of God is that he is complete and sufficient and flawless, and without any defect or deficiency. That means, before creation and apart from creation, God was completely and flawlessly God.  Remember, he said I AM who I AM.  And the doctrine of the Trinity, which we tend to struggle with, it helps explain God's self-sufficiency.  God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  There was already fellowship there.  Because the Trinity implies in the relationships between the Father and the Son and the Spirit is that God is love and has always been love. 1 John 4:16 emphasizes that , "God is love." Before there was even a world to love, God was love.   Okay – then why did God create?  Colossians 1:16 reads, For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Through him and for him.    I think this is kind of a simplistic analogy but it helps me understand this concept.  Often, when we get married, we have a desire to have children.  I think about Richard and myself.  We knew from the beginning that we wanted to try to have a family.  Why?  Because it was an expression of our love.  Putting our labor and emotions into our family was about love. We didn't have to have children, we didn't necessarily need children, but we truly wanted to have them.  We chose to have them. Creation was an expression of God's amazing love too.  Even though God does not need us, He wanted us.  Just like we are still kind of obsessed with our kids' lives because we love them so dearly, God is still intensely interested in our lives. He deeply and tenderly loves us beyond comprehension—not because He has to (out of need), but because He chooses to (out of love).  "The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).  God rejoices in us!   Creation was also an expression of God's glory. "Glory" describes all the things God is full of—it includes his love but it is also his wisdom, creativity, beauty, strength, compassion—all the things that make him weighty and wonderful, made manifest for us to see and experience.     Throughout the Bible, we see Scripture telling us that God created to demonstrate his glory.  Psalm 19:1, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Why is it that we see a beautiful sunset and we are in awe?  Or we look at snow-capped mountains and their majesty and we just feel the presence of God in our midst?  Or we experience childbirth and we marvel at how it all worked out so beautifully and perfectly and we say, wow – this didn't happen by chance.  This was not an accident.  Because all of creation – from gorgeous mountains to stars to a beautiful butterfly to the birth of a baby to scientific principles like gravity --- they all declare God's glory, his wisdom, his beauty, and his love, for this world.  When have your experienced God's glory in creation?   We'll stop there for today.  Looking forward to tomorrow!   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Daily Dose of Hope August 4, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 25   Prayer:  Holy God, We come before you today distracted and with scattered thoughts.  Help us focus, Lord, on you and your Word.  Help us, in the next few moments, to be silent, still, and remember that you are God...Thank you, Lord, for your care and concern for our lives.  Thank you for how you show up in amazing and unexpected ways!  We give you glory, Lord Jesus.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  Today, we are finishing up the book of 2 Kings.  I think by this time, most of us know that the ending is not going to be a happy one – necessary yes but happy no.  Just a reminder, tomorrow we will be beginning our deep dive into Genesis and Exodus and we will start at the very, very beginning, Genesis 1.  Hope you will join us.   Today's reading is 2 Kings 25.  It appears the end has come.  The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, came and surrounded Jerusalem.  That meant no food could come in and after several months, the people were starving.  Eventually, the Judean army broke through the wall and fled.  But it was pointless.  The Babylonians caught up with them.  King Zedekiah was arrested.  His sons were killed in front of him and his eyes were gouged out.  Not very pretty.   The remaining treasures were taken apart and carried off to Babylon and then the Temple, the palace, and the homes were all burned.  Only the poorest of the poor remained.  Jerusalem was now a sad shell of itself, just as God told them it would be.   So what can we learn from this?   1.        Sin has consequences.  That seems to be the most prominent theme. 2.        Human kings have nothing on God.  Human kingship and wealth will only get you so far.  God is in control over everyone and everything.  3.        So many people start well and end poorly.  We see this throughout the Bible.  How will we ensure that we end well? 4.        God's purpose will always prevail.  And that brings me great peace, because I know that God is totally loving, just, and filled with truth and grace.  We can trust Him and his purposes. 5.        Be thankful for Jesus.  We live on the other side of the cross.  We have been offered forgiveness and mercy even though we don't deserve it.  Thank you, Jesus.   Join us for Genesis 1 tomorrow.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki          

Daily Dose of Hope August 3, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 24   Prayer:  Lord Jesus, How thankful I am that we live on the other side of the cross and that your grace is incredibly abundant. And yet, I know that you still allow me to experience the consequences of my behavior; there is still accountability. Lord, help me grow to reflect you more and to gradually live a life characterized by your holiness rather than my own inclination to sin. More of you, less of me. Amen   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope church daily Bible reading plan.  We are almost done with 2 Kings after a summer of learning about the divided kingdom, the various kings, and the exile.  Starting Wednesday, we will be deep diving into Genesis and Exodus.  Hope you will stay with us for that.  Emmy Roberts has agreed to keep up our Friday going deeper discussion.  I've loved my chats with her and I hope you do too.   For hundreds and hundreds of years, God warned his people: Obey the covenant, do not worship other gods, do not neglect the poor. And with just a few exceptions, the people disobeyed. There were judges and prophets sent to warn the people. In fact, there was no shortage of warnings. Yet, the people continued to turn away from God, to be influenced by the culture around them, and to follow the ways of the pagans.   In today's Scripture, 2 Kings 24, we see God lifting his hand of protection. His people have not held up their end of the covenant and he is finally allowing them to experience the consequences of their actions. It's hard to read and yet, we know it had to happen for the next stage of the journey to occur.   Let's talk a little bit about the invasion.  When Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah, King Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. To be a vassal meant that Judah was subject to Babylon and under its control.  For some context, Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem because the Pharaoh of Egypt invaded Babylon. In response, Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians and then he pursued their fleeing army all the way down to the Sinai (that's why in verse 7 it mentions that the Egyptian ruler does not come out of his country again – he's been thoroughly defeated).  On the way back, Babylon conquers Jerusalem, who had been loyal to the Egyptian Pharoah.   There will be two more invasions.  In fact, the siege on Jerusalem takes about one year.    King Jehoiachin follows Jehoiakim and not surprisingly, he is also evil.  He actually surrenders to Nebuchadnezzar, hoping to appease him in some way.  But that doesn't happen.  King Jehoiachin is taken captive and sent back to Babylon, as are thousands of Jerusalem's best and brightest.  All the wealthy and skilled people are exiled into Babylon and the treasures found in the Temple are carried off as well.  Jerusalem is impoverished of resources and skill.  Among the captives was the prophet Ezekiel, who wrote his book of while in captivity in Babylon.   Since Nebuchadnezzar has now completely humbled Judah, he puts a king on the throne whom he was pretty sure would submit to Babylon. He chose the uncle of Jehoiachin, and called him Zedekiah.  Shocking, he also did evil in the eyes of the Lord.  By this point, God is done.  The Scripture says he finally cast them out from His presence.   The final line of the chapter says that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.  I think we learn more about that tomorrow, in the final chapter.    And once again, we learn that sin has consequences.  God has a tolerance for just so much, and then he is done.  And he is sovereign so he can and will do anything among the nations to make his plan unfold.  We see this here.  Now I don't know about you, but I am incredibly thankful for living on the other side of the cross.  We know grace.  That doesn't mean that sin still doesn't have consequences though.  How have you seen this in your own life?   Tomorrow is the end of 2 Kings.  This should be interesting.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

Daily Dose of Hope July 31, 2026 Scripture: 2 Kings 23 Prayer: Holy and Perfect God, Thank you for your divine plan.  Thank you for not giving up on your people and sending Jesus.  Your love and care for us is hard to comprehend.  Help us be a better reflection of your love in all we do.  Amen. Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We have been on this really incredible journey, reading 1 & 2 Kings.  It's almost over.  I don't know about you, but I have found these books to be challenging but filled with truth.  They've been challenging because we have encountered so much evil, which often feels unnecessary.  But there is truth – God's intolerance for evil and sin but also his mercy.  He gives so many chances.  But he has his limits, and we are getting close to that place with Judah.  But for now, we get to sit with King Josiah, who actually wants to do the right thing.  It's so refreshing! Today's chapter is 2 Kings 23.  It becomes evident just how prevalent and extensive the worship of other gods had become in Judah. There were altars to other gods throughout the land, in people's homes, and even in the temple of the Lord! After generations of sinful kings, idolatry had become a regular part of their culture. Josiah cleans everything up. He destroys the high places, he gets rid of every form of pagan worship, including temple prostitutes, pagan priests, and all those horrible altars. While Josiah was faithful and did all he could to renew the covenant with God, it simply wasn't enough. Despite repeated warnings, the kings and people of Judah had failed to uphold the covenant. They had disobeyed God over and over again. Josiah's best efforts couldn't make up for the hundreds of years of sin. God honored Josiah's faithfulness, however, and ensured that he would not see the destruction to come. We see Josiah killed in this chapter. I don't know about you but I immediately got a sense of foreboding, knowing that things are about to get really bad for Judah. The scene has been set and we are about the watch it play out. With that, let's start our going deeper with Emmy Roberts. Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope July 30, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 22   Prayer:  Almighty God, I come before you today with a sense of gratefulness.  You are Lord of all and yet you care for me.  Thank you, Lord.  Help me walk through this day with humility and your wisdom; help me represent you well.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, help me gather my scattered thoughts, I want to hear your voice...Come Holy Spirit, and guide this time.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan.  We are getting very close to the end of 2 Kings.  It's been quite a journey!  I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.  What have you learned from 1 & 2 Kings?   Today's reading is 2 Kings 22.  In this chapter, we meet King Josiah. To say Josiah was the product of a dysfunctional family would be a gross understatement. His grandfather was evil and his father was evil. They worshiped other gods; they did everything wrong in the eyes of Yahweh. His father was so disliked that his own servants end up assassinating him. I can only imagine how terrible it was to live in the palace at the time. Josiah comes to the throne at age eight.   Today's Scripture says that he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. I can't help but wonder how Josiah knew to follow Yahweh. We really don't know many details about his life. But somehow, someway, Josiah knew right from wrong and chose to do right. At age eighteen, he starts to rebuild the temple (which had fallen into disrepair after so many sinful kings), and the Book of the Law is discovered. Josiah tears his clothing, a sign of grief and sorrow, when he hears the words of the law read aloud and realizes just how far the nation of Judah had drifted from God's standard.   A couple things jump out at me after reading today's text. First, just because someone's family is dysfunctional, abusive, evil, or lost, doesn't mean they are doomed to the same fate. Josiah's family history was atrocious but he didn't fall into the same pattern as his father and grandfather. We serve a God who redeems people, rescues, provides freedom and a path for true transformation. Maybe you grew up in a really messy family situation; that does not define you! Who you are in Jesus Christ is what truly defines you. Partnering with God, your legacy can be different from your past. There is always hope, always room for redemption.   One other reflection from this text is that the Word of God read aloud has power. When Josiah heard the Book of the Law read for the first time, he was forever changed. He was repentant. He was convicted. His heart was transformed and he had the desire to serve God and lead others to do the same. Never discount the power of God's Word.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope July 29, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 21   Prayer: Abba Father, We come to you today with gratitude.  Thank you for loving us.  Thank you for wanting a relationship with us. Thank you for never leaving our side.  Thank you for giving us glimpses of how this world is supposed to be.  Help us to follow you more closely, Lord.  We need your truth.  We need your guidance and direction.  With every fiber of our being, we need you.  As we read your Word today and reflect on it, Lord, speak to us.  Help us grow closer to you.  Let us know where we are falling short so that we can be the people you have called us to be.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan.  We are currently in 2 Kings, getting close to the end of the chapter.  In fact, we have four chapters left after today.  On August 5, we will be starting a deep dive into Genesis and Exodus.  Hope you will join us for that as well.   Today's chapter is 2 Kings 21.  After Hezekiah, his son takes over.  King Manasseh is almost the opposite of this father.  He is really, really evil – worshipping other gods, putting altars to other gods in the Temple, sacrificing human beings, shedding innocent blood, the list goes on and on.    I can't help but wonder how Manasseh got to be so evil.  He had a pretty good role model in Hezekiah.  Who were his other influences?  What was his family life like?  He came to the throne at twelve, very young really.  Did he have any relationship at all with his dad?  When someone is that evil, you can't help wonder how he got that way.   We don't get a lot of details about Manasseh in this chapter.  But 2 Chronicles 33 gives more information.  In 2 Chronicles, we read about how God's anger led him to allow Manasseh to be taken by the Assyrians into Babylon and he was treated like an animal.  It was at that point that Manasseh cries out to the one true God and God hears his cries.  God allows him to return to Jerusalem and gave him back the kingdom.  It was at that time that Manasseh really changed his ways.  He no longer worshiped other gods but only the one true God.  He removed the desecration in the temple and restored the proper altar.  He appears, at least according to the chronicler, to be a changed man.  This seems like such a significant life transformation that one wonders why the author of 2 Kings did not mention it.  What are your guesses?   But today we also learn about Amon, Manasseh's son.  He is evil through and through, learning from his father's early days.  I wonder how much parenting actually went on between a king and his son.  It seems that good kings had bad kids and bad kings sometimes had good kids.  With so many wives and concubines, I can't help but think most of the parenting was done by the moms and probably hired help.  These women were usually pagans, having a huge influence on these kids.  The situation was far from ideal.  The fate of the nation really fell to men who were often parented by pagans and probably given everything they wanted.  Y'all, leadership really matters.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope July 28, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 20   Prayer:  Lord Jesus, Help us be productive members of your Kingdom.  I know we fall short.  I know we mess up.  Call us, let us hear your voice, and we will respond.  We will say yes.  Give us the courage and boldness to be the people you called us to be.  We love you, Lord.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan.  We are currently in 2 Kings, getting close to the end of the chapter.  It's been quite a journey!  I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.  What have you learned from 1 & 2 Kings? Today's reading is 2 Kings 20.  Hezekiah gets very ill.  The Scripture doesn't mention what kind of sickness, but it is assumed he will die.  In fact, God says he is going to die.  But Hezekiah prays fervently to the Lord and God hears his pleas.  He agrees to add fifteen years to King Hezekiah's life.  But then something kind of strange occurs.  Envoys from Babylon come to visit Hezekiah.  The Scripture says they heard that the king was ill and came bearing gifts.  Hezekiah decides to show the Babylonian guests everything in his palace and storehouses.  They basically got a thorough tour of all the treasures of Judah.  What in the world led Hezekiah to do this?  Was he bragging?  Was he trying to show them he has just as much wealth as Babylon?  When Isaiah finds out what occurred, he prophecies that there will be a time in which the Babylonians will take everything from the palace and treasuries.  Now the Babylonians are paying Hezekiah tribute, but soon it will go the other way.  Even some of his descendants will be taken to Babylon to serve the king there.  Of course, we know this happens when the Babylonians conquer Judah and carry off their best and brightest into exile in Babylon.  And then we get this reaction from Hezekiah that is totally self-centered.  He hears about the coming destruction and all he can say is, "Well, at least it won't happen in my lifetime."  There is no sorrow or remorse, just relief that he won't be part of it. Hezekiah started out so well – what has become of him? Hezekiah's end, like the end of so many kings, points to the truth that human kings are deeply flawed.  We need someone stronger, better, someone who can truly save us.  We need the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.  Only he can save us.   Blessings Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope July 27, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 19   Prayer:  Almighty God, Thank you for today and new week.  Thank you for providing for us, caring for us, and protecting us.  Over thousands upon thousands of years, you have taken care of your people.  We give you glory and praise, for who you are.  Thank you, most of all, for sending Jesus, who moved into our neighborhood so that we could begin to understand your love.  Wow.  There are no words to adequately thank you for the sacrifice that saved our lives.  Lord Jesus, we love you and we thank you.  Help us grow in holiness, continue to transform us so we can be a better reflection of you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  What a great summer in the Word it has been.  We have been working our way through 1 & 2 Kings.  There is so much substance in these books.  On the surface, you might not think so, but we learn a lot about God's intolerance for sin, but also his deep mercy for his people.  Our reading for today is 2 Kings 19.   In today's chapter, the Assyrians are just chomping at the bit to conquer Judah.  King Hezekiah and his leaders are grieving and pleading before the Lord.  They have put on ash and sackcloth.  Someone wanting to show a deeply repentant heart would often wear sackcloth, sit in ashes, and put ashes on top of his head. Sackcloth was a coarse material usually made of black goat's hair, making it quite uncomfortable to wear. The ashes signified desolation and ruin.    In an effort to seek Godly wisdom, they go to the prophet Isaiah.  Isaiah, not surprisingly, says that God will not allow the Assyrians to conquer them.  But the Assyrian king taunts them in a letter, asking how in the world they think their God can defeat the mighty Assyria.  Hezekiah's reaction is moving.  He takes the letter and lays it out before the Lord.  Humbly (key word there), Hezekiah asks the Lord to deliver them from the hands of the Assyrians.   And God answers.  God is responding to the Assyrians' letter with his own taunts.  He is quite clear that he despises the Assyrians' mockery and he will take care of them.  Judah will come out on top and it will be clear that God Almighty is the one who accomplished it.   Sure enough, an angel of the Lord ensures that 185,000 Assyrian soldiers die in their camp that night, so many that they must withdraw.  And then Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, is killed by his own sons.    Judah is the victor.  God has saved them.   There are certain things that really stand out to me in this chapter.  The first is that arrogance does not pay.  Assyria was so full of themselves that they did not and could not even conceive of anyone beating them.  Arrogance and pride will always lead to negative consequences.  Humility is difficult but this is what Jesus modeled for us.  Is there any arrogance or pride that needs to be rooted out of your life?   Second, I was so impressed and moved by how Hezekiah just laid everything out before the Lord.  He knew that Judah was weak and had no power.  But God has plenty of power.  He simply gave it to the Lord and asked for his help.  He surrendered it to God.  God hears and responds. How many of us have something we need to surrender to the Lord right now?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope July 24, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 18   Prayer:  Lord, our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth!  We magnify your precious and powerful name.  How often we forget how mighty you are.  You created all.  You created us.  Thank you, Lord, for who you are.  Most of all, thank you for loving us with all our flaws and brokenness.  In all we do, in who we are, help us to be more like you.  We pray for humility, mercy, and compassion.  Help us see others through your eyes.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading.  We've been going through 1 & 2 Kings and it has been quite challenging, mainly because the content is heavy and disturbing.  Yesterday, we read about the demise of the Northern Kingdom.  Today, we get a bit of hope. Today's reading is 2 Kings 18.  Can we all breathe a collective sigh of relief that there is finally a good king who does what is right in the eyes of the Lord?  I mean, King Hezekiah even tears down the altars in the high places, which the other good kings do not do.  This guy is different, we can tell this from the start. But that doesn't mean he won't be challenged.  Assyria is literally breathing down his neck.  This is a great text and we get to see what happens on Monday!  But now, it's time for our going deeper time with Emmy Roberts.  Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope July 23, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 17   Prayer:  Dear Holy God, Your love is amazing.  Thank you for the way you care for us.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, help us focus on you...Lord Jesus, help us set aside every distraction and take this time to lean on you.  We want to hear your voice.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading.  We are about two-thirds done with 2 Kings and this has been quite a journey. Today's reading, 2 Kings 17, is what we have been dreading.  The kings are once again leading the people astray.  In the north and the south, they are worshiping other gods, committing child sacrifice, and they have set up altars in the high places.  Both nations are depending on the protection of the pagan nations around them.  They are paying tribute to some and not others, and the political consequences are bad.  God allows Aram and Israel to conquer Judah, and the casualties are significant, although God doesn't allow them to be totally decimated. But destruction does occur in Israel.  All the disobedience, the years of pushing God away, the horrific kings over generations, and the constant warnings that were not heeded, it has all come to a head.  The Assyrians have taken over.  While there is priest allowed to stay to teach the people about their God, it's a warped Judaism mixed with pagan influences.  This is the end of the Northern Kingdom.  I had always been taught that once the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom, that was basically the end of them.  The Assyrians were known for their brutality and moving the native people out of their land, sending their own people to populate it.  But we do see here that some Israelites stay.  Again, Chronicles helps fill in some of the gaps.  Hezekiah (who we will read about tomorrow) invites many from the north to settle in Judah after the Assyrians take over the north and they take him up on that offer.  Most likely, many of the residents stayed, mixing with the new immigrants from Assyrian lands.  This helps make sense of why the Samaritans were so despised in Jesus' time by the Jews.  They were not pure Jews, having many different mixed cultural and religious influences. While this chapter was expected, it is also incredibly sad.  There is a high cost to disobedience.  God offered so much mercy, giving many chances, and sending many prophets to warn the kings and the people.  But they just didn't listen.  Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope July 22, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 16   Prayer: Lord Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, We give you all the glory and praise.  Thank you for being a God who provides.  Thank you for being a God who heals.  Thank you for being a God who sees past our brokenness and invites us into relationship with you.  Help us, Lord, to grow more deeply in love with you every day.  More of you and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We have been working our way through both 1 & 2 Kings this summer and today's reading was 2 Kings 16.   In this chapter, the author's attention turns back to Judah, the Southern Kingdom.  Jotham's son, Ahaz, is abhorrently evil.  I can't help but wonder – his dad was pretty good and did the right thing, what happened to him?  Jotham had learned from his father's failings and tried to do better.  Ahaz seems to have taken an entirely different route.   King Ahaz, while he ruled in Judah, decided to follow the ways of the kings of Israel.  When he feels threatened by the kings around him, he doesn't turn to God but rather tries to bribe Assyria for protection.  He worships the Lord but also worships Baal, seemingly trying to cover all his bases.  He engages in child sacrifice and he destroys parts of the temple, even building a new altar.  He does what is utterly detestable in the eyes of God.  Thus, God allows him to be conquered by the pagan kings around him.    Judah may last a little longer than Israel but sin and evil are also finding their way to the Southern Kingdom.   Interestingly, this is the period when Isaiah enters the scene.  There are prophecies about the end of Judah during the reigns of these kings we have been learning about.  In Isaiah 7, God sends Isaiah to give Ahaz a sign.  This is where we get the Immanuel prophecy.  It basically says that Judah will see its demise and be conquered but God isn't done with them.  There will be redemption.  We know that redemption to be our Messiah, Jesus Christ.    It's so interesting.  In the midst of real tragedy, there is still hope.  The average person probably couldn't see it at the time, but we can see how God never stopped being part of the situation.    I think that might be something we need to hear right now.  Even when things seem really, really bad with all kinds of violence and immorality, God is still at work.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki          

Daily Dose of Hope July 21, 2026   Scripture:  2 Kings 15   Prayer:  Holy God, You are so good.  Forgive us for the many times we fall short.  Forgive us when we are overcome with selfishness and pride, when we put worldly things and people before you.  Help us to look to you and you alone for strength, wisdom, and guidance.  Give us a repentant heart that wants to follow your ways.  Jesus, we need you.  It's in your name we pray, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We have been working our way through both 1 & 2 Kings this summer and today's reading was 2 Kings 15.   Things aren't going so well in Israel, in the Northern Kingdom.  King after king is evil.  King after king, there is warfare, bloodshed, and idolatry.  This is what happens when God's people turn from him.  In a span of just a few decades, four consecutive kings (Zechariah, Shallum, Pekahiah, and Pekah) are violently assassinated by their successors. This is feeling like a really gruesome Hollywood movie, and it was real!  It feels like we are getting very close to the end of the Northern Kingdom.   The Southern Kingdom has a little more stability.  King Azariah takes the throne at age 16.  Just so you know, Azariah and Uzziah are the same person.  This created some confusion for me.  Uzziah is mainly the name used in Chronicles and Azariah is mainly the name used in Kings.  I say mainly because Uzziah is used in today's chapter when introducing his son, Jotham.  Probably the best explanation is that Azariah was his birth name and Uzziah was the name he took when becoming king.    Regardless of what name we call him, he was a man who started well and ended poorly.  2 Kings says that Azariah is struck with leprosy but doesn't mention why.  2 Chronicles goes into more details.  The king had a fair amount of military and political success and it's possible that it went to his head.  He was yet another king who didn't think the rules were for him.  He wanted more authority.  So, he enters the Temple and burns incense in a place where only the priests were allowed to go.  The priest who catches him (also named Azariah for lots of confusion) stands up to the king and ordered him out of the Temple. This was the king's chance to quickly leave and repent for his wrongdoing. Instead, Azariah/Uzziah becomes enraged that the priest dared to question him. As the king stood in the Temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. He was shut out of the Temple and spent the rest of his life in isolation, banned from public worship or even normal human socialization. His son, Jotham, handles the affairs of government.   Jotham seemed to learn from his father's mistakes and does what is right in the Lord's eyes.  Overall, he ended well, even though he didn't totally clean out the pagan idols in the high places.  Not totally getting rid of the pagan temples and altars will not end well for Judah in the years to come.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki