Day 4: Genesis 10-12 & Matthew 4

Hello everyone! Here’s the portion of scripture that stuck out to me today:

“‘The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.’ So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed” –Genesis 12:1-4

This is the beginning of Abraham’s story, and what an amazing story it is! In leaving his home and family, Abraham understood that he would never see these people and places again. How tough.

I don’t know what I would do if I was told that I would never see my family again. I may live a thousand miles away from them, but I talk to them regularly and manage to see them several times a year. Abraham was saying good-bye for a lifetime.

I have to admire his faith. No, Abraham was not a perfect man. We need some of that imperfection in Genesis 12, when he lies out of fear and says Sarah is his sister instead of his wife. But here in Genesis 11, we have to admire Abraham, at least a bit. We have to admire him for heading off into an unknown world, holding onto a promise that God would go with him and bless the nations through him. It must have been difficult to truly fathom what that promise even meant. Abraham didn’t have any children, so how could God possibly bless the world through him? To some, the promise might seem like an over-exaggeration. God might bless a person or two, but bless everyone on the earth, come-on! Believe it or not, God’s words were true. He did bless the entire earth through Abraham. One of his decedents would be Jesus Christ, who would die on the cross for our sins.

Prayer: Lord, please open my heart & ears so that I can hear any words of direction from you. Help me to be like Abraham, unafraid to go wherever you may leave me in this life.

Questions: What struck you from today's readings? Is there anything you want to research more fully? If so, check out www.blueletterbible.org