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Devotions from Genesis
How can words written thousands of years ago be relevant to life today? See for yourself how Genesis, the book of beginnings, is not just ancient history and that the Word of God is still alive and timeless. Nicole Vaughn's Devotions from Genesis will take you on a journey from the garden of Eden to the courts of Pharaoh in Egypt, allowing you to see your own hurts, struggles, and joys through the lives of patriarchs from Adam to Joseph. You will gain insight into your heart and more importantly, insight into the very heart of God. One day at a time, you will be reminded that you are not alone with these Devotions from Genesis.
216 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published July 6, 2010
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 1, 2024
These books arrived at the perfect time for me as we have been looking at the powerful figures of Abraham, Jacob and Joseph from Genesis in our weekly youth group meetings. Even though I’m not the adult leading the discussions, I like to be prepared to better assist. Devotions from Genesis was a great resource to be using for my preparation.
I love how Nicole keeps everything ‘bite-sized’ so you can read for just a few minutes or go through several small sections in one longer sitting. I can read the particular Scripture verse and either meditate on it a bit, or move on to reading what she’s written about that particular verse. Then I can focus into prayer using the prayer she supplies as well as adding my own thoughts to the mix. Sometimes I want to go slow and just savor little tidbits that jump out at me while other times I find myself reading several pages at a time.
Now, Nicole does not do a play by play for each verse in Scripture. Rather she highlights one of a few and then goes into a bit of history (including summary of surrounding verses) or reflection before moving into a prayer. Like the Scripture being read, she is always pointing the way towards Christ. You can keep your Bible at the ready to read the verses that surround the one which is the focus of the particular short devotional. I have to admit that some of the sections of Genesis with the family trees described can cause my eyes to glaze over. While I know there’s an importance as lineage was and is considered important, I typically do not like to dwell on it much.
I’ve spent most of my time in Section 2 and 3 for this review as that lined up with what is happening in our youth group. Much of what she highlighted were things that I picked up while reading the Scripture and watching films alongside the youth on Sundays. However, Nicole took it a step further than I might have by including those prayers to be spoken from our hearts which really help to personalize the devotion.
I am looking forward to completing my time in Genesis this month and then moving into Exodus. I’m not sure if the youth group will be doing the same, although the thought of spending time on Moses and God freeing the Israelites from Egypt during Lent is intriguing. Maybe my own reading through Exodus will provide inspiration for sharing it with the youth.
I love how Nicole keeps everything ‘bite-sized’ so you can read for just a few minutes or go through several small sections in one longer sitting. I can read the particular Scripture verse and either meditate on it a bit, or move on to reading what she’s written about that particular verse. Then I can focus into prayer using the prayer she supplies as well as adding my own thoughts to the mix. Sometimes I want to go slow and just savor little tidbits that jump out at me while other times I find myself reading several pages at a time.
Now, Nicole does not do a play by play for each verse in Scripture. Rather she highlights one of a few and then goes into a bit of history (including summary of surrounding verses) or reflection before moving into a prayer. Like the Scripture being read, she is always pointing the way towards Christ. You can keep your Bible at the ready to read the verses that surround the one which is the focus of the particular short devotional. I have to admit that some of the sections of Genesis with the family trees described can cause my eyes to glaze over. While I know there’s an importance as lineage was and is considered important, I typically do not like to dwell on it much.
I’ve spent most of my time in Section 2 and 3 for this review as that lined up with what is happening in our youth group. Much of what she highlighted were things that I picked up while reading the Scripture and watching films alongside the youth on Sundays. However, Nicole took it a step further than I might have by including those prayers to be spoken from our hearts which really help to personalize the devotion.
I am looking forward to completing my time in Genesis this month and then moving into Exodus. I’m not sure if the youth group will be doing the same, although the thought of spending time on Moses and God freeing the Israelites from Egypt during Lent is intriguing. Maybe my own reading through Exodus will provide inspiration for sharing it with the youth.
May 30, 2013
Nicole asked if I'd review her devotional, "Devotions From Genesis" back in January 2013. I was looking for devotional avenues at the time and agreed, choosing to do it Monday to Friday every week. At 50 chapters in Genesis, I thought at first I'd be done by mid-March, but discovered that Nicole had other plans.
Nicole draws parallels from the characters in Genesis to God's desire to interact with mankind throughout the Bible and how we might apply that to ourselves today. She divides Genesis into three parts: Discovering God's character through the fall of man, learning obedience to God and the consequences of disobedience, and the final section, learning about the parallels between Joseph and Christ.
This is a fresh look at the Book of Beginnings. I very much enjoyed all the Scripture she used throughout the study. Not once did she take any Scripture reference out of context, which is a big thing for me. Her use of Scripture even in her closing prayer of each session is sure to help the reader who might not be familiar with the thoughts she expresses to God.
This study is not a workbook. There are no places to answer questions or to write things down. To that end, the devotional reader will want to keep their journal nearby to jot down thoughts, Scriptures, and answers to questions that the text might raise for them. Many find it a healthy practice to keep a prayer journal or a study journal nearby anyway, so going through this particular study will continue that habit.
This study is also not a historical expose' of the times in which the events occurred. Nicole's primary focus is on the spiritual applications of the events and people in Genesis moreso than matching up those events to verifiable records. That would require a much more indepth look at the book of Genesis and has been covered by other authors. As a devotional, there isn't room for this kind of discussion.
So if the reader is interested in how the lessons found in Genesis apply to their lives today, this is the devotional to pick up. Read each chapter in Genesis before you carry on in the text. This gives a great background for the day's session. If you are not pressed for time, taking time to open your Bible to each of the remaining Scripture references for that day will help to internalize that day's thoughts as well. Then, if you are like me, you will be tempted to write out your own commentary on what God is teaching you as you travel with Nicole through the pages of Genesis. It was all I could do at times not to begin writing my own commentary of what God was teaching me. But to keep from potentially overshadowing Nicole's efforts for the purposes of this review, I refrained except for a couple times.
Great read, great devotional, nothing out of context, even the prayers have Scripture in them. . . I give this devotional a five out of five.
Nicole draws parallels from the characters in Genesis to God's desire to interact with mankind throughout the Bible and how we might apply that to ourselves today. She divides Genesis into three parts: Discovering God's character through the fall of man, learning obedience to God and the consequences of disobedience, and the final section, learning about the parallels between Joseph and Christ.
This is a fresh look at the Book of Beginnings. I very much enjoyed all the Scripture she used throughout the study. Not once did she take any Scripture reference out of context, which is a big thing for me. Her use of Scripture even in her closing prayer of each session is sure to help the reader who might not be familiar with the thoughts she expresses to God.
This study is not a workbook. There are no places to answer questions or to write things down. To that end, the devotional reader will want to keep their journal nearby to jot down thoughts, Scriptures, and answers to questions that the text might raise for them. Many find it a healthy practice to keep a prayer journal or a study journal nearby anyway, so going through this particular study will continue that habit.
This study is also not a historical expose' of the times in which the events occurred. Nicole's primary focus is on the spiritual applications of the events and people in Genesis moreso than matching up those events to verifiable records. That would require a much more indepth look at the book of Genesis and has been covered by other authors. As a devotional, there isn't room for this kind of discussion.
So if the reader is interested in how the lessons found in Genesis apply to their lives today, this is the devotional to pick up. Read each chapter in Genesis before you carry on in the text. This gives a great background for the day's session. If you are not pressed for time, taking time to open your Bible to each of the remaining Scripture references for that day will help to internalize that day's thoughts as well. Then, if you are like me, you will be tempted to write out your own commentary on what God is teaching you as you travel with Nicole through the pages of Genesis. It was all I could do at times not to begin writing my own commentary of what God was teaching me. But to keep from potentially overshadowing Nicole's efforts for the purposes of this review, I refrained except for a couple times.
Great read, great devotional, nothing out of context, even the prayers have Scripture in them. . . I give this devotional a five out of five.
November 26, 2015
Devotions from Genesis by Nicole Vaughn is her first installment in the Devotions from the Torah series. Nicole takes the reader through the major events of Genesis such as creation, the fall, the flood, the Tower of Babel, and the patriarchs. While doing this, she pulls out truths easily unnoticed and gives contemporary applications.
One of my favorite aspects of Nicole’s writing is that she interprets Scripture with Scripture. While studying the Genesis narrative, she uses verses from throughout the Bible to help the reader interpret and apply the text. In addition, she, at times, explains Hebrew words to enrich understanding.
Each devotion begins with a Scripture, is followed by an exposition, and closes with a prayer. Here is a sample of Nicole’s rich application as she considers God taking Enoch to heaven in Genesis 5:
“Through Enoch’s experience I believe we can see a picture of the rapture of the church: ‘Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord’ (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Today the church is here. We are here walking with God. We have a relationship with God. We are calling on his name. We are to be telling others about the judgment that God has said is yet to come. We as the church are to be sharing the gospel of God, just as Enoch did, and one day before the great day of judgment comes, just as God took Enoch, he shall take his church. My friend, if he came to catch up his church today, would you be ready?”
I am excited to check out other installments in the Devotions from the Torah Series! Her devotional through Exodus is already available!
One of my favorite aspects of Nicole’s writing is that she interprets Scripture with Scripture. While studying the Genesis narrative, she uses verses from throughout the Bible to help the reader interpret and apply the text. In addition, she, at times, explains Hebrew words to enrich understanding.
Each devotion begins with a Scripture, is followed by an exposition, and closes with a prayer. Here is a sample of Nicole’s rich application as she considers God taking Enoch to heaven in Genesis 5:
“Through Enoch’s experience I believe we can see a picture of the rapture of the church: ‘Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord’ (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Today the church is here. We are here walking with God. We have a relationship with God. We are calling on his name. We are to be telling others about the judgment that God has said is yet to come. We as the church are to be sharing the gospel of God, just as Enoch did, and one day before the great day of judgment comes, just as God took Enoch, he shall take his church. My friend, if he came to catch up his church today, would you be ready?”
I am excited to check out other installments in the Devotions from the Torah Series! Her devotional through Exodus is already available!
December 3, 2013
Outstanding. Devotions in Genesis brings the Torah to life in devotions that are short enough to actually be done, but meaty enough to keep your mind on them throughout the day. The Devotions aren't dated, so you're never behind (great for people like me, who are still working on the self-discipline of a consistent devotional time), and the writing flows beautifully. Love this book, love this series!
September 16, 2010
:-) God wrote it through me...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews