Be a Blessing
Opening Prayer
Lord, in the barren places of my soul, give me hope for the future.
Read Genesis 12:1-9
[1] The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. [2] “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. [3] I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” [4] So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. [5] He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. [6] Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. [7] The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. [8] From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. [9] Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How is God unveiling his redemption plan?In them we learn of God’s plan to bring salvation to all people. Salvation will begin with one person, Abram, but this chapter of the Word hints that as the story progresses, salvation will move to a nation, and then, to a Person—Jesus. God’s ultimate plan is that salvation will be given to all people through Jesus, the Christ. Before the world can receive the blessing of salvation through Christ, God is counting on Abram has to have faith and obey. At this moment in time, there is much riding on Abram’s obedience to God. Abram’s story shows that sometimes faith requires that we hand our struggles over to God and move forward. It’s a real challenge to lay down the good in obedience to God. But when our hands are emptied of the good, we have the possibility of picking up the great. Sometimes we need to have faith to hand over our struggles to God and move forward. Sometimes we need faith to leave behind the good things in life in order to obey God. When we are able to do either or both of these things we are blessed, and become a blessing to others.In them we learn of God’s plan to bring salvation to all people. Salvation will begin with one person, Abram, but this chapter of the Word hints that as the story progresses, salvation will move to a nation, and then, to a Person—Jesus. God’s ultimate plan is that salvation will be given to all people through Jesus, the Christ. Before the world can receive the blessing of salvation through Christ, God is counting on Abram has to have faith and obey. At this moment in time, there is much riding on Abram’s obedience to God. Abram’s story shows that sometimes faith requires that we hand our struggles over to God and move forward. It’s a real challenge to lay down the good in obedience to God. But when our hands are emptied of the good, we have the possibility of picking up the great. Sometimes we need to have faith to hand over our struggles to God and move forward. Sometimes we need faith to leave behind the good things in life in order to obey God. When we are able to do either or both of these things we are blessed, and become a blessing to others.
Apply
Do something to help someone else discover a new truth about God.
Closing prayer
Lord, show me the things I need to lay down in order that I may live in accordance with Your will.
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