Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Genesis 15:1-18
“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Then he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know this for certain, that your offspring shall be aliens in a land that is not theirs, and shall be slaves there, and they shall be oppressed for four hundred years; but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for yourself, you shall go to your ancestors in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,”
I had the pleasure of meeting and discussing today’s Advent message with a group of women from my church. We meet every Wednesday morning for Bible Study, I am blessed to be part of this group of extraordinary women!! We talked and shared our experiences of God’s promises and His faithfulness to fulfill those promises made. The story of Abram and Sarai, (Abraham and Sarah) is recorded in the book of Genesis.
“When God changed a person’s name and gave him a new name, it was usually to establish a new identity. God changed Abram’s “high father” name to “Abraham,” “father of a multitude” (Genesis 17:5) and his wife’s name from “Sarai,” “my princess,” to “Sarah,” “mother of nations” (Genesis 17:15–16).” ~https://www.google.com/search?q=abram+became+abraham&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari
God’s promises extend to you and I, not just the individuals we read about in the Bible. Jesus came to fulfill the Law and to make a way for everyone to be in relationship with God through himself. Abraham indeed is the father of many; many sons and many daughters in many nations!
One of my favorite songs growing up in the church was “Trust and Obey,”. It really is that simple! I invite you to open your heart to Jesus this Advent season and lean on His promises. If you’ve never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, this is your moment. God is waiting with open arms to welcome you home. Pray this prayer, “Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door when I hear you knocking. By faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your words are true. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and be my Savior. Amen”
Friends, if you are accepting Jesus and need to speak to someone, I am here to prayer with you and for you. I also encourage you to reach out to a friend that is a believer or a church for more information. You are so loved by God!
Prayer:
Holy One, you have promised to be with us. Watch over me, protect me, and bless me. Make your presence known through your grace and peace. ~Amen.
~Hope & Peace~
References:
https://hymnary.org/text/how_firm_a_foundation_ye_saints_of
Author: K. (1787); Author (attributed to): George Keith (1787); Author (attributed to): R. Keen (c. 1787)
Tune: ADESTE FIDELES
Gospel Acclamation Songs
Published in 1882 hymnals
Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/the-sinners-prayer-4-examples.html
HOPE SEEKER 
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