Monday
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. 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. 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.” - Genesis 12:1–3 (ESV)
Stepping Out in Faith
God had a blessing in store for Abram, but to receive the blessing, Abram had to trust God’s Word, step out in faith, and leave all that was comfortable to him. This required a lot of faith because he was a successful businessman with established relationships and connections. God’s call was a call to separate himself from the corruption around him, and Abraham obeyed by faith. His faith opened the door to God’s blessings.
Imagine two letters that are sent to the post office. One letter is typed beautifully by a word processor. It is typed on exquisite, expensive stationery. There is not a word misspelled. It is beautifully framed. Everything is perfect, not a smudge, not a smear. It is perfectly addressed, and it’s placed in the mail. Another letter is written. This letter is written on common notepaper like a yellow legal pad. It’s stuffed into an envelope. It is written in pencil. It is full of grammatical errors. It is smudged and dirty. It has erasures on it. But there’s a difference in the two letters. The first letter, so beautifully written, has no stamp on it. The second letter, written in pencil, with smudges and smears, has a stamp on it. Question: Which letter will be delivered? Faith is the stamp that gets your letter on through—faith. Some people may pray beautiful prayers; I mean they are eloquent, and they may be right, and the content may be good, but there is no stamp on the letter. (Adrian Rogers)
Bible scholar, Warren Wiersbe, writes, “The life of Abraham is an example for all Christians who want to walk by faith. Abraham was saved by faith (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:1–5; Gal. 3:6–14) and lived by faith (Heb. 11:8–19), and his obedience was the evidence of his faith (James 2:14–26).”
Reflection
Obedient faith hears what God’s Word is saying to me and responds with appropriate action. What did you learn about obedience from Jake Fromm?
Prayer
Praise God for His faithfulness to keep the promises in His Word. Ask God to grow your faith to step out and trust His promises.
Stepping Out in Faith
God had a blessing in store for Abram, but to receive the blessing, Abram had to trust God’s Word, step out in faith, and leave all that was comfortable to him. This required a lot of faith because he was a successful businessman with established relationships and connections. God’s call was a call to separate himself from the corruption around him, and Abraham obeyed by faith. His faith opened the door to God’s blessings.
Imagine two letters that are sent to the post office. One letter is typed beautifully by a word processor. It is typed on exquisite, expensive stationery. There is not a word misspelled. It is beautifully framed. Everything is perfect, not a smudge, not a smear. It is perfectly addressed, and it’s placed in the mail. Another letter is written. This letter is written on common notepaper like a yellow legal pad. It’s stuffed into an envelope. It is written in pencil. It is full of grammatical errors. It is smudged and dirty. It has erasures on it. But there’s a difference in the two letters. The first letter, so beautifully written, has no stamp on it. The second letter, written in pencil, with smudges and smears, has a stamp on it. Question: Which letter will be delivered? Faith is the stamp that gets your letter on through—faith. Some people may pray beautiful prayers; I mean they are eloquent, and they may be right, and the content may be good, but there is no stamp on the letter. (Adrian Rogers)
Bible scholar, Warren Wiersbe, writes, “The life of Abraham is an example for all Christians who want to walk by faith. Abraham was saved by faith (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:1–5; Gal. 3:6–14) and lived by faith (Heb. 11:8–19), and his obedience was the evidence of his faith (James 2:14–26).”
Reflection
Obedient faith hears what God’s Word is saying to me and responds with appropriate action. What did you learn about obedience from Jake Fromm?
Prayer
Praise God for His faithfulness to keep the promises in His Word. Ask God to grow your faith to step out and trust His promises.
Tuesday
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. - Hebrews 11:8 (ESV)
Your Faith Requires Trust, Not Complete Clarity
During a baseball game in the summer of 2006, Boston Red Sox centerfielder Coco Crisp made a spectacular play. David Wright of the New York Mets hit a ball toward left-center field. The ball was moving away from Crisp as he raced after it. Just as it began to fall to the ground, Crisp dove headlong toward it. With his body flying through the air, he stretched his gloved hand as far as possible—and caught the ball. Some called it the best catch they had ever seen. What were his thoughts as the ball sliced through the air? Crisp said, “I didn’t think I could get there. I decided to go for it. I took a leap of faith.” (Our Daily Bread)
When Abram left his hometown of Ur he took a leap of faith. In Hebrews 11:8, the Bible says, “he left not knowing where he was going.” In Genesis 12:1, God promised to eventually show Abram where He was leading him. But when Abram left he did not have clarity about his final destination. He only had trust that God would not lead him astray. God doesn’t always tell us where He is leading us. He simply wants us to trust and follow Him.
Reflection
Can you think of a time when God did not give you clarity but He asked you to trust Him to not lead you astray? Is there something God is asking you to let go of now and trust Him to provide?
Prayer
Praise God for His perfect timing. Thank Him for bringing clarity when it’s time. Ask God to help you learn to wait on Him.
Your Faith Requires Trust, Not Complete Clarity
During a baseball game in the summer of 2006, Boston Red Sox centerfielder Coco Crisp made a spectacular play. David Wright of the New York Mets hit a ball toward left-center field. The ball was moving away from Crisp as he raced after it. Just as it began to fall to the ground, Crisp dove headlong toward it. With his body flying through the air, he stretched his gloved hand as far as possible—and caught the ball. Some called it the best catch they had ever seen. What were his thoughts as the ball sliced through the air? Crisp said, “I didn’t think I could get there. I decided to go for it. I took a leap of faith.” (Our Daily Bread)
When Abram left his hometown of Ur he took a leap of faith. In Hebrews 11:8, the Bible says, “he left not knowing where he was going.” In Genesis 12:1, God promised to eventually show Abram where He was leading him. But when Abram left he did not have clarity about his final destination. He only had trust that God would not lead him astray. God doesn’t always tell us where He is leading us. He simply wants us to trust and follow Him.
Reflection
Can you think of a time when God did not give you clarity but He asked you to trust Him to not lead you astray? Is there something God is asking you to let go of now and trust Him to provide?
Prayer
Praise God for His perfect timing. Thank Him for bringing clarity when it’s time. Ask God to help you learn to wait on Him.
Wednesday
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. - Genesis 12:8 (ESV)
Place Your Faith in More Than Earthly Prosperity
Imagine that you are out in the middle of a lake and there are two rowboats and you are standing with one foot in each boat. One boat, however, is filled with holes and is sinking fast. It is obvious that unless you do something you will soon be in the lake. The boat with the holes represents ourselves with all of the leaks caused by sin. The boat without holes represents Christ. It should be obvious that with one foot in each boat, we shall end up in the same place that we would have ended up in had we had both feet in the boat marked “self.” The only safe place to be is to have both feet firmly planted in the boat marked “Christ.” (C. Spurgeon)
In Genesis 12:8 the only piece of Promised Land that Abram actually owned was his burial plot. Everything else was in a tent. A tent is not a permanent dwelling. However, Abram's hope and faith weren’t in temporary material possessions, they were in the Lord. Hebrews 11:10 reminds us Abram “was looking for that city whose architect and builder is God.”
Reflection
What are some ways that living in a tent symbolizes the foolishness of trusting in material things? What are some eternal things that you are investing in and in what ways?
Praise/Prayer
Praise God for the eternal hope you have in Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any earthly possessions you may be clinging too tightly to.
Place Your Faith in More Than Earthly Prosperity
Imagine that you are out in the middle of a lake and there are two rowboats and you are standing with one foot in each boat. One boat, however, is filled with holes and is sinking fast. It is obvious that unless you do something you will soon be in the lake. The boat with the holes represents ourselves with all of the leaks caused by sin. The boat without holes represents Christ. It should be obvious that with one foot in each boat, we shall end up in the same place that we would have ended up in had we had both feet in the boat marked “self.” The only safe place to be is to have both feet firmly planted in the boat marked “Christ.” (C. Spurgeon)
In Genesis 12:8 the only piece of Promised Land that Abram actually owned was his burial plot. Everything else was in a tent. A tent is not a permanent dwelling. However, Abram's hope and faith weren’t in temporary material possessions, they were in the Lord. Hebrews 11:10 reminds us Abram “was looking for that city whose architect and builder is God.”
Reflection
What are some ways that living in a tent symbolizes the foolishness of trusting in material things? What are some eternal things that you are investing in and in what ways?
Praise/Prayer
Praise God for the eternal hope you have in Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any earthly possessions you may be clinging too tightly to.
Thursday
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. - Genesis 12:8 (ESV)
Express Your Faith Through Your Witness
Abram lived out his faith and others could see the impact it made on his daily choices. Abram pitched his tent between Bethel and Ai. The word Bethel means “House of God.” Bethel is the symbol of communion with God. It was at Bethel that the patriarch Jacob would later meet God one lonely night, Gen. 28. The name Ai means “A Heap of Ruins”. Ai is the symbol of the world. It was here that Israel would later learn a valuable lesson about faith, obedience, and the destructive power of sin. As Abraham journeyed, he seemed to be moving away from “A Heap of Ruins” toward the “House of God”. This symbolizes the fact that Abraham was moving away from what he used to be, toward that which God desired for him to be! That's what happens when a person sets out to walk with the Lord!
In 1893, engineer George Ferris built a machine that bears his name-the Ferris wheel. When it was finished, he invited a newspaper reporter to accompany him and his wife for the inaugural ride. It was a windy July day, so a stiff breeze struck the wheel with great force as it slowly began its rotation. Despite the wind, the wheel turned flawlessly. After one revolution, Ferris called for the machine to be stopped so that he, his wife, and the reporter could step out. In braving that one revolution on the windblown Ferris wheel, each occupant demonstrated genuine faith. Mr. Ferris began with the scientific knowledge that the machine would work and that it would be safe. Mrs. Ferris and the reporter believed the machine would work on the basis of what the inventor had said. But only after the ride could it be said of all three that they had personal, experiential faith. (Source unknown).
Reflection
Jake Fromm reminded us that God does not intend for you to live your faith in private. Genuine faith shows up in our daily lives and brings light to dark places. Where is your faith most obvious and where is your faith most hidden?
Praise/Prayer
Praise God for the dark places He has placed you so you can be a light for Him. Ask God to show you someone who needs to see and hear about the difference Jesus can make in their life.
Express Your Faith Through Your Witness
Abram lived out his faith and others could see the impact it made on his daily choices. Abram pitched his tent between Bethel and Ai. The word Bethel means “House of God.” Bethel is the symbol of communion with God. It was at Bethel that the patriarch Jacob would later meet God one lonely night, Gen. 28. The name Ai means “A Heap of Ruins”. Ai is the symbol of the world. It was here that Israel would later learn a valuable lesson about faith, obedience, and the destructive power of sin. As Abraham journeyed, he seemed to be moving away from “A Heap of Ruins” toward the “House of God”. This symbolizes the fact that Abraham was moving away from what he used to be, toward that which God desired for him to be! That's what happens when a person sets out to walk with the Lord!
In 1893, engineer George Ferris built a machine that bears his name-the Ferris wheel. When it was finished, he invited a newspaper reporter to accompany him and his wife for the inaugural ride. It was a windy July day, so a stiff breeze struck the wheel with great force as it slowly began its rotation. Despite the wind, the wheel turned flawlessly. After one revolution, Ferris called for the machine to be stopped so that he, his wife, and the reporter could step out. In braving that one revolution on the windblown Ferris wheel, each occupant demonstrated genuine faith. Mr. Ferris began with the scientific knowledge that the machine would work and that it would be safe. Mrs. Ferris and the reporter believed the machine would work on the basis of what the inventor had said. But only after the ride could it be said of all three that they had personal, experiential faith. (Source unknown).
Reflection
Jake Fromm reminded us that God does not intend for you to live your faith in private. Genuine faith shows up in our daily lives and brings light to dark places. Where is your faith most obvious and where is your faith most hidden?
Praise/Prayer
Praise God for the dark places He has placed you so you can be a light for Him. Ask God to show you someone who needs to see and hear about the difference Jesus can make in their life.
Friday
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. - Genesis 12:8 (ESV)
Express Your Faith Through Your Worship
A church had a man in the choir who couldn’t sing. Others tried to help him find other places of ministry in the church but he insisted on being in the choir. The choir director became so desperate that he went to the pastor. “Pastor, you have to do something with brother Jones. If you can’t persuade him to leave the choir then I quit and most of the choir will quit too. Help us!” The pastor went to the man and suggested that he leave the choir. “Why should I leave?” “Several people have told me you can’t sing.” “That’s nothing. Fifty have told me you can’t preach and you are still here.” (Source Unknown).
Worship does not depend on your ability to sing well. Worship is how we respond to God’s greatness and how we express our faith in Him. The first evidence of a living faith is a changed life. The second evidence of a living faith is true worship. Twice in this short passage, we are told that Abram built an altar to the LORD. Warren Wiersbe notes that "Wherever Abraham went in the land of Canaan, he was marked by his tent and his altar (Gen. 12:7–8; 13:3–4, 18). The tent marked him as a “stranger and pilgrim” who did not belong to this world (Heb. 11:9–16; 1 Peter 2:11), and the altar marked him as a citizen of heaven who worshiped the true and living God.
Reflection
One of my favorite definitions of worship is “all that I am rightly responding to all that God is.” Romans 12:1 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” What are some ways you worship God with your entire life?
Prayer/Praise
Thank God for all the mercy and love He has shown to you. Take some time to worship God by singing along with some of your favorite worship songs. Offer God your body to be used by Him however He wants.
Express Your Faith Through Your Worship
A church had a man in the choir who couldn’t sing. Others tried to help him find other places of ministry in the church but he insisted on being in the choir. The choir director became so desperate that he went to the pastor. “Pastor, you have to do something with brother Jones. If you can’t persuade him to leave the choir then I quit and most of the choir will quit too. Help us!” The pastor went to the man and suggested that he leave the choir. “Why should I leave?” “Several people have told me you can’t sing.” “That’s nothing. Fifty have told me you can’t preach and you are still here.” (Source Unknown).
Worship does not depend on your ability to sing well. Worship is how we respond to God’s greatness and how we express our faith in Him. The first evidence of a living faith is a changed life. The second evidence of a living faith is true worship. Twice in this short passage, we are told that Abram built an altar to the LORD. Warren Wiersbe notes that "Wherever Abraham went in the land of Canaan, he was marked by his tent and his altar (Gen. 12:7–8; 13:3–4, 18). The tent marked him as a “stranger and pilgrim” who did not belong to this world (Heb. 11:9–16; 1 Peter 2:11), and the altar marked him as a citizen of heaven who worshiped the true and living God.
Reflection
One of my favorite definitions of worship is “all that I am rightly responding to all that God is.” Romans 12:1 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” What are some ways you worship God with your entire life?
Prayer/Praise
Thank God for all the mercy and love He has shown to you. Take some time to worship God by singing along with some of your favorite worship songs. Offer God your body to be used by Him however He wants.
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