Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb. Abram and Sarai in Egypt. 10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. 16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. 17 But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” 20 And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had. Meditation Resist panic and live your purpose as a believer! When we follow Scripture for the arc of God’s purpose for His people we find the call of Abram as the inception. By faith Christians are children of Abraham (Galatians 3:7) and share the purpose of Abram’s election- to bless all the families of the earth. In contrast to those building the tower of Babel for their own namesake (11:4) God chose Abram as a fountainhead for a people to make His name great. God made Abram a promise to share with all the families of the earth. Abram believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (15:6). Abram was not chosen for his righteousness nor did he maintain his privileged position through his moral performance. The first act of Abram recorded after his call was a self-protecting twist of truth that jeopardized the well being of his wife and the promise of offspring made by the Lord! The grace of God called and sustained Abram and God’s grace is the only way the purposes of God move forward. The grace of God compels Christians to find our purpose in sharing God’s blessing and the hope of Jesus Christ with all the families of the earth. Through Jesus Christ there is blessing for every family from every tribe, tongue, and nation (Revelation 7:9-10). What does this look like practically? Ensuring every family has basic needs met to survive, practical needs met to thrive, and opportunities to develop skills to flourish. Resist panic and live your purpose, Christian! Your city desperately needs the blessing of God through you that they might come to know the greatest blessing to all the families of the earth, Jesus! Richly Dwelling -Many Christians view their faith as a vehicle for personal blessing. Do you struggle with self-centered purpose in your faith? -The grace of God covers our selfishness and re-orients us to a greater purpose, namely to be a conduit of blessing for all the families of the earth. How can you be a blessing to someone today? -God’s call for His people to be a blessing to all families and all nations of the earth is a theme uniting all of Scripture. Ask Jesus to give you eyes to see and a heart to receive the purpose He has for you through His word. As we journey together through Scripture you will be amazed at how the Spirit of God shows you the purposes of God for your life. Buckle up! Key Verse 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Comments are closed.
|
AuthorPastor Mitchell celebrates twenty-five years of marriage with Lisa & together they have four adventurous children. |