READ: Genesis 15:1, 3-6
Like Abram, our journey of faith begins with our belief that the Lord has provided a way for us through His Son, Jesus. And from the experience of Abram, we know that the journey between the time we believe and the time we meet the Lord face to face will be an adventure, filled with many joyful high points where the road is easy, but also times of trial that lead to doubt. It is the hope we gain from understanding that it is the Lord’s faithfulness that carries us through. Are you trusting God to keep His word in your life?
PRAY: Lord, help me to trust You more in the small things and in the big things. Show me how I can exercise my faith and grow in my relationship with You.
READ: Genesis 16
Fast forward to 2023! Running ahead of God’s plan still produces sad and flawed replacements, all because we somehow think we know a better way than our Creator God… better than the inspired Word He left for us. Our sin nature calls us to self-gratification and ruling our own lives. Our Savior calls us to trust, obey, and surrender for the best He has planned for us. In what ways are you striving to run ahead of God’s plan? The temptation is strong to try and achieve several steps in the future instead of simply taking the simple steps of obedience now.
PRAY: Lord, please show me where I am relying on myself and help me to take simple daily steps of obedience.
READ: Genesis 18:1-5, 9-15, 21:1-7
One of the hardest things to do well in the Christian life is to wait upon the Lord. What we often miss is the work God is doing in us while we are waiting for Him. God is at work, preparing your heart and sanctifying you to be ready to receive whatever it is He is going to do in your life. For Abraham and Sarah, they were waiting nearly 25 years for the promised son. When God said it was finally going to happen, Sarah laughed! This laughter wasn’t a joyful laugh, but a laugh of unbelief and scoff. When our faith in God is weak, it is easy to find ourselves sinning when we doubt that He will fulfill His promises to us, much like Sarah when she lied about her doubt to the Lord. Yet, God sympathizes with weakness and remains faithful to His promise.
PRAY: Lord, please forgive me for my unbelief and help me grow in my belief in Your promises and in Your Word.
READ: Genesis 18:16-33
Abraham knew his nephew, Lot, and his family lived in Sodom. He knew from past experience that it is God’s character to be merciful and just. This strange interaction between God and Abraham has so much richness. Notice that God never counter-bargains with Abraham. It is Abraham who continually sets the limits of what he is asking God for, and when God granted it, he realized he could ask for more. A fundamental error we often make is simply not believing that God is good and gracious, and knows how to give good gifts to His children.
PRAY: Lord, I believe You are good, please help me grow in my worship and trust of You because You are my Heavenly Father.
READ: Genesis 22
When God tests us, it is not because He is curious to find out what will happen, but because He is showing us our own heart and helping us to grow and change. God needed to perform a work in Abraham’s life that was only possible by posing a situation in which Abraham’s faith was put to the test in a dramatic way. Abraham had the faith to know that the Lord would provide a sacrifice. This foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ. We must ask ourselves, “What am I willing to give up for the Lord?” Do you have the faith to believe that God will still provide, even if we make a sacrifice for Him?
PRAY: Lord, help me to grow in my faith in Your provision.
READ: Genesis 24
This passage has been used countless times to talk about singleness and how to find a spouse. However, this passage is not about how to find a good spouse, but it is about how God miraculously provides to keep His promise. The errand seemed hopeless and the task was daunting. The servant had no idea if and how God was going to provide a wife to keep the line of Abraham alive and fulfill His covenant with Abraham to multiply his offspring. Yet, through obedience and faith, the servant saw God perform the fulfillment of His promise right before his eyes!
PRAY: Lord, thank You for always keeping Your promises to me, help me to walk by faith in Your Word.