Genesis 12-19
The Story of Abraham
Week 4 August 5 – 9, 2019
Monday August 5
The Call of Abram – Genesis 12
God called Abram to move away from his home, his whole life, because He had a greater plan than what Abram had planned for himself. Just like Abram, we may feel safe and content where we are, but we must be willing to follow God wherever he calls. In Canaan, Abram built an altar as a way to worship God and also as a physical marker that would remind Abram of God’s promise to bless him. We also ought to regularly place reminders to ourselves of God’s faithfulness, and the things He has done, and will do! Take time to recognize God’s work in your life and renew your faith. When Abram moved to Canaan, all was well at first. It was a bountiful land and Abram and his family enjoyed their new home, but then famine struck. Abram did not despair. He continued to trust God and passed this first test of his faith in his new home, as you are certain to be tested also when following God’s plan. When in Egypt, Sarai and Abram lied about their relationship because they were afraid. This was one test that Abram failed and everyone around him paid the price for the sin of his lie. It seems odd that Abram would give in to fear so quickly after following God and being rewarded for his faith. However, this happens all the time, and not just to Abram.
Activity: Think about the things that God has done for you in your life. The miracles God has done in you, the blessings he has given you. Choose one thing that you haven’t yet documented, and make your own altar as an act of worship and reminder of God’s faithfulness. This can look like hanging up a favorite Bible verse that reminds you of this time, writing a journal entry about what God has done, or telling someone the story or blessing. Just don’t let yourself forget to remember all that God has done!
With Children: Go outside and build your own altar like Abram, with sticks, wood scraps, get as creative as you can with the natural resources around you. Stack them up high, pray and thank God, sing a song, talk about the wonderful things that God has done!
Tuesday August 6
Abram & Lot – Genesis 13 & 14
In our lives we daily face the choice of preferring others above ourselves. Abram allowed Lot to choose which land to own. He resolved a conflict before it even happened, putting peace amongst his family as a priority over his own desires. Lot was selfish and chose the land that looked the most attractive, and later paid the price for taking the easy route. He ended up being taken captive and all of his family and possessions being taken as well. Abram could have left Lot to face the consequences of his actions, but instead he rescued Lot, recovering his entire family and possessions. Abram was then given gifts and blessings as a reward for following God. Like Lot, we can choose to make choices based on what we think will benefit us. Or we can follow Abram’s example and let others go first.
Activity: Today you will have an opportunity to prefer someone over yourself. It may be forgiving a wrong instead of pursuing conflict. It may be making your spouse a meal for before feeding yourself. Or even reaching out to a friend or family member in love instead of holding a grudge. Many times in the Bible we are told to make this choice and today we will pursue love instead of waiting for it to come to us.
With Children: Do some practice in sharing today. Help your child fix a meal for someone else or offer a toy to a sibling before playing with it themselves. Even a toddler can do these things with your help!
Wednesday August 7
A Son for Abram – Genesis 15 & 16
Abram was sad because he had no child to inherit all of his wealth. God made a promise to Abram, that he would have a son and that his descendants would be as many as the number of stars in the sky. For Abram, God’s promise must have been unimaginable because and he and his wife were too old to have children, at least according to the world’s way of thinking. In spite of this seemingly impossible idea, he believed this promise from God. Abram’s faith and trust allowed him to be called righteous by God. Abram had faith, but it seems his wife Sarai was not as trusting and he allowed her to sway him from the promise that God had given. Sarai took things into her own hands and forced Abram to have son differently than the way that God had said it would be done. This brought many problems for everyone involved. Even though Abram did have a son, it was outside of God’s plan and promise. How many times have we been given a promise by God, or had hope for something in our lives, and then tried to force it to happen according to our own abilities? Even when we are able to force what we want to happen, it somehow doesn’t feel as right or as satisfying as we had imagined. When we’re waiting to see the results of the promise of God, we must be careful who we allow to speak about our situation and possibly sway our attitude. When God gives you a promise, you must protect it, keep it safe from those who might dissuade you from the faith and trust that it takes to see God’s plan through. When decide to take a strong stand on God’s word, you can defend God’s promise to you, instead of following someone else’s plan. If you want to see miracles in your life, you have to trust that God will do them.
Activity: Once it is dark out tonight, go outside and look up at the stars. Think about the promise that God made to Abram, that his descendants will be as great as the number of stars in the sky. What promise has God made to you? Remember that promise and decide in your heart to hold fast in the face of whatever may derail you from your faith.
With Children: Look up at the stars in the night sky, or if the stars are out too late in the night, find a handful of sand. Talk to your child about the promises of God in the Bible and tell them that God can work miracles in their life. There are a lot of wonderful things that God promises us, the greatest of all being salvation from our sins.
Thursday August 8
A New Name – Genesis 17
God continues to repeat his promise to Abram that he will have many descendants. Now he has given more details and makes a covenant with Abram, re-naming him Abraham and re-naming Sarai to Sarah. God does not usually give us all of the details up front. He calls Abraham without telling him where he’s going, He tells him he will have a son but doesn’t say when, and even tells him his family will live in Canaan but still doesn’t give Abraham a solid timeline. Instead God tells Abraham only what he needs to know to make the next move and inspire in him hope for a blessed future. Here God makes a covenant with Abraham, which requires Abraham to give something as well, as a sign that he will keep up his end of the agreement. God tells Abraham to obey him and then God will bless him. God requires obedience of us as well and there are blessings he wants us to have, but we must do our part like Abraham. Unlike Abraham, we have many ways to know what God wants of us and clear expectations on how to obey Him. First we have the Bible, the Word of God that gives us a lot of information on how to live the right way, how to please God, and how to be forgiven from our sins and spend eternity with Him. Next we have the Holy Spirit who guides us in our actions daily, helps us to understand the Bible, and helps us to speak directly to God. Which bring us next to prayer. Through Jesus we no longer need a priest to intercede on our behalf, but we can speak to God directly through prayer. You may not have had a moment where you feel that God has spoken directly to you, but you can show your willingness to obey God by starting with the direction He gives you in the Bible.
Activity: Consider the way you live your life, your thoughts, your attitude, your actions. Is there an area that is not being lived in obedience to God? Have you felt conviction lately, but have yet to act on correcting that part of your life? Maybe you need to spend more time studying the Bible and in prayer? Ask God to help you find something specific that you can change so that you can walk closer with him and better follow his plans for you.
With Children: Find a Bible verse with your child that tells us a way that God wants us to live our lives. Find a song or make one up, even create dance moves or actions, that will help you both remember that Bible verse. Practice it every day for the next week and who knows, you may be singing and dancing God’s Word right into their hearts for eternity and setting them up for a life of obedience to Him! While younger children may not be able to sing the words and do the actions, they will watch you which is just as important.
Friday August 9
Sodom & Gomorrah – Genesis 18 & 19
It is a mark of a godly person to show hospitality to strangers and newcomers, making them highly honored guests as Abraham and Lot did. God asks Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Just like Sarah and Abraham, we often forget to recognize God’s power to do anything and we let our own deficiencies overwhelm us. Instead we should let God’s power overwhelm our shortcomings. In Sodom and Gomorrah, the people were very sinful and no one righteous could be found in the entire area – not one person loved God. Only Lot and his family were spared and that was because Abraham had pleaded to God to spare his family. Prayer and asking God’s favor and blessings for our friends and family members who have become comfortable with sin, can still help them to be protected by God. We should not give up on interceding for others when they have strayed from God. It can be tempting to leave them to the power of God’s justice, but God’s mercy to save them from destruction can be a great example of His power as well. Even in the midst of God’s mercy in saving her and her family, Lot’s wife turned back toward the sinful and burning Sodom, reluctant to accept God’s salvation and turn from sin. As Matthew 6:24 tells us, “No one can serve two masters.”
Activity: Be intentionally hospitable today. Find someone new and make them feel welcome, whether that be at work, in your neighborhood, your church, your family or friends. Even if someone isn’t physically “new” to the area, there is someone on the outskirts of your acquaintance whom you can reach out to and make feel welcome. Bring them some food or another type of gift, invite them to a meal or social outing, or slow down and simply have a conversation where you get to know them a little better.
With Children: Help your child make or buy some cookies, a cake, or other type of dessert to bring to a neighbor today. They can make a card to go along with it that says “Welcome to the neighborhood,” or “Have a great day!” For younger children, you’ll likely be doing most of the work, but include them and let them help where they can – especially in delivering the gift. You can even use the excuse that it is part of an assignment to deliver a gift to a neighbor in an effort to practice hospitality.
