- Scripture: Genesis 12:1–12:9
- The Anchor: “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.” – Genesis 12:2
Terah takes Abram, Sarai, and Lot to Haran (the place, not the person), and then from there, Abram, Sarai, and Lot go further than Haran. God makes a promise to Abram that He will make Abram’s name great, and also bless all the nations through him if he goes and follows God. Abram went to the land of Canaan, and God makes a promise that He will give Abram’s descendants the land. Abram makes an altar at Canaan. He journeyed onward and kept making altars for God.
Our God is a promise keeper. First, there is the promise God made when He told Abram to keep moving forward, and then the covenant about Canaan. Both of these were fulfilled: the first promise was about Israel, but also about how Abraham was the ancestor of Jesus, who blessed all the nations; the second promise was about Joshua and entering the promised land, which was fulfilled in the book of Joshua.
God is a promise keeper in our lives, too. God has promised eternal life to those who believe, and He will keep that promise until the end. Other promises, like the promise for wisdom, are also God’s delight to keep. We see so many examples in the Bible, but we are also witness-bearers ourselves to the promise-keeping power of God.
Reflection
- Abram left everything behind to travel to an unfamiliar land, building altars to God at each stop along the way. When you are stepping into a new or uncertain situation, how can you establish “altars” of prayer and thanksgiving to keep your focus on God?
- God took centuries to fulfill His promises to Abraham through Joshua and Jesus, showing that His timing is completely different from ours. When you are waiting on God for wisdom or direction in your life, how can you remind yourself of His perfect track record?
Prayer
Lord, thank You for being an absolute promise keeper who holds the future in Your hands. Give me the faith to follow where You lead, and help me to be a faithful witness-bearer of Your goodness to my friends and family today. Amen.