The Blessing
Read This Week: Genesis 12
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “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.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him. – Genesis 12:1-4a NIV
When prompted by the voice of God, who among us would leave the only home and area that we’ve ever known and venture out into an unknown world? How many of us would go beyond what we’ve ever experienced and attempt to make a life and home in a place we didn’t even know existed? Who in the modern world would have such faith and trust in the word of God to go sight unseen with your family and all your possessions to a new place and begin again?
People often spend months and years, along with hours and hours of research, before they move anywhere and do anything. But Abraham heard from the Lord in Genesis 12, picked up everything, and followed Him to the land He appointed. A bold move underwritten by an audacious faith. Verse 5 says:
He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan.
This chapter represents a shift in Genesis, though. Before this section, we have read and worked through the famous stories of ancient biblical history. We’ve unpacked the metaphysical implications of creation, the spiritual ramifications of the fall, and the tragedy and significance of Cain and Abel. We then examined all the Noah and the Flood. But here, even more so than the account of Noah, the story seems to narrow from origins and beginnings to chronicling the life, challenges, and trials of one specific couple, Abraham and Sarah, and their family. The chapter starts with a command from the Lord to go from his country, his people, and his father’s household to the land He would show Him. A promise of transcendent blessing followed this daring direction from God in verses 2-3:
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 all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
God’s proclamation to Abraham that He will bless him indicates His sovereign, divine plan for his future. Out of that plan will come a blessing for his family to be a great nation. That generations from his seed will be plentiful, prosperous, and abundant. God also asserts that Abraham’s name will be great. His legacy and reputation will be held in esteem, along with the promise that he will bless others. The Lord even included a physical blessing by promising to give Abraham and his family the land He led them to.
God’s blessing of Abraham sustains and preserves him and Sarah through the distinct challenges of their lives (v. 10-20). It also does the same for their descendants when they don’t see its fulfillment. The promise to Abraham establishes him and his descendants as vessels of God’s blessing to all those who would come after. We are beneficiaries of this blessing. Because of Christ, we have received the blessing of salvation through His glorious name. Because of it, we experience more incredible blessings through his grace and provision.
Abraham is a great example for us to follow in this way. He believed in God’s promises and risked for them. He left his father’s house and his home to go to the place that God showed him. He believed in the promised blessing not only for himself but for his family. May we have the same posture towards God and His promises. May we believe they are true, real, and effective for our lives even when life and circumstances may suggest otherwise. That’s the beauty of the blessing.
Genesis 12 verse 20 is what God really honed me in on this week.
20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.
God said to me on this:
“It doesn’t matter what you have or where you are. All that matters is that you are the church when you praise Me with others. Be the church wherever you go.”
I love this because we can be with God and bring God to others wherever we are on the globe. It is an amazing thing.
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].
But the Lord scourged Pharaoh and his household with serious plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.
~God’s Promises And Blessings By Faith~
God Is Saying To Me:
I have great plans for you just like I had for Abram. When you pick up your cross and follow Me, you make a stand to Me and to be obedient. My plans for you are good and I always take care of you. You can’t half obey Me and expect good to come of it. You must always be truthful to Me, yourself and to others. My promise is my covenant and sacrifice to you. You must sacrifice sinning for Me. My promises depend on Me and not on you, so always be truthful and everything will be all right. I always show grace and mercy and never take back my promises to you. I will protect you from yourself because I love you!
What This Means To Me:
When we give our life to God, we are made new in Christ. It’s our obligation to father God to be truthful, faithful and obedient to Him. He will never leave us or forsake us, so we must always give Him 100% of our hearts so that the desires and half truths of the sinful world can’t inundate us and our lives. If we falter or fall short, the Lord is there with us to carry us out of the storm and set us back on the right path. Always keep God first in everything we do and don’t fall victim to the risks of the world.
Thank you God that you are always omnipresent and available to us when we fall short of the mark that you have set for us. ❤️❤️❤️
Genesis 12:2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].
3 And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and [a]curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves].
Be a blessing to God, others and yourself!
Even thou there were times when abram faith was not perfect he tried to handle situations on his own God knew his heart!
Blessings don’t come from luck or by chance
Blessings come from God
The first blessing He gives us is the gift of Salvation
Spiritual blessings to me is living in peace, being kind, how we love to bless others, I’m still learning about Father God and His promises and His blessings
It’s important to continue to listen to His voice, keep studying keep learning about Jesus teachings and live them so you can be a blessing to others and bless the Fathers Heart ❤️
God was saying to me
It’s all about your heart!
When your heart is open to receive My blessings in every part of your life you will be a blessing to others
I have so many gifts to give to you, spiritual blessings
The more you open up your heart to me you will live in My peace and you will be a blessing to others!
It’s all about how you speak
Love you my daughter ❤️
This Week in the Life: Genesis 12
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In this chapter, what I got from God was Abrahams partial obedience in Chapter 11, did not take My promise away. Instead it meant the fulfillment of the promise was delayed until Abraham was ready to do what I told him to do. Abraham was an example of growing in faith and obedience. I want you to grow in faith and obedience. I promised to bless Abraham and to “make his name great.” Nations that treat the Jewish people well, have often been blessed. Abraham was promised a blessing, and I also promised to make him a blessing “to all the families of the earth” through Jesus Christ. The more time you spend with Me, you will also be a blessing to others. The work of Jesus, will touch every person on earth. Once Abraham settled in Canaan, I reminded him of My promise. The land he saw belonged to him, and his descendants. Abraham built an altar because it was a place to meet with Me, to offer sacrifice for sin, to show submission to me, and to worship Me. You also have an altar. You meet with Me to remember, the sacrifice of My Son Jesus, made for sin. You also submit to Me as a living sacrifice there, and you also offer the sacrifice of praise to Me. You should live as people who have your permanent dwelling place in heaven and not on earth. When famine came, Abraham was wrong in thinking, I would not provide for his needs in the place where I called him to live. Abraham, like you, found it easier to trust Me in the far-off promises, than in right now needs. If you want to do something wrong, you can find good reason to do it. The devil is always happy to suggest reasons for you to sin. I will grow you into a woman of great faith, but this requires you to go through circumstances, where you must trust Me.
What this said to me was I want to continue to grow in my faith and my obedience. To do this, I have to be intentional in drawing closer to Him, by worshiping Him, obeying Him, and spending time in His word. In letting God in, more in my heart, He wants to bless me, and He wants me to be a blessing to others. I need to trust God and have faith, He will provide for me in all circumstances.