TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“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. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:2-3
Read: Genesis 12:1-9
Listen: Genesis 12
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Generations after creation, God moves toward people through a family. God calls Abram (whose name later becomes Abraham) out of his homeland with a promise of incredible blessing. God assures Abram that he will father a great nation, although childless now. Through Abram and his descendants, God promises to bless the entire world. God marks this promise with a covenant—a contract. If Abram will trust and obey him, God will bless beyond measure.
God fulfills his promise, and Abraham’s family becomes the nation of Israel. God again appears, renewing his promise first given to Abraham. He gives them the law that details a way of life counter to the cultures around them. Through Israel, God desires to show the world who he is and what a relationship with him can be. Just like the first people, Israel rebels. They choose their way, and things are broken once again. Israel’s story of following God and their repeated failures comprise the Old Testament of our Bible. Yet despite their failures, God is faithful. God fulfills his promise and blesses the whole world with Jesus through them.
Through this part of the story of the Bible, we see we are much like Israel. We so often rebel and go our way. We too desperately need God’s restoration. No matter how far we’ve turned away, God is faithful to fulfill his promises. We need only turn to him to confess we can never be good enough on our own. We can tell him how far we’ve run and how we need him.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Confess to God that you can be like Israel and are susceptible to rejecting him. Recognize you can never measure up, and thank him for his forgiveness.
2022 BIBLE MEMORY PRACTICE
Develop spiritual roots and tap in the power of God’s word by memorizing monthly a Bible verse! View previous verses at beyondtheweekend.org/biblememorypractice.
ROMANS 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
