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God Gives You Purpose

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.

Genesis 12:2

Watch Week Three, Day One

God continues to show his faithfulness and love through the Abrahamic covenant. In this covenant, God makes promises to a man named Abram (not a typo). Genesis 12 begins with God telling Abram to leave his country and the family he knows with the promise of making Abram a great nation; he promises to bless him and make Abram’s name great (Genesis 12:2).

As we continue to read in Genesis 12–17 we see the covenant get more detailed. God put before Abram’s eyes the land he would receive (Genesis 13:14–15; 15:18–21). He told Abram of the son that would be born to him (Genesis 17:15–21), and he told Abram that his descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth and stars in the sky (Genesis 13:16–17; 15:1–5).

In addition to words, God gave physical signs of his promises. He increased Abram’s land and property (Genesis 13:5–6). He also performed a ceremonial act (Genesis 15:12–21) sealing the promise. As Abram was asking, “How will this all happen?” God responded with a physical sign of promise. In this ceremony, Abram was asked to bring animals and cut them in half and divide them. God then put Abram in a deep sleep. As Abram slept, God told him what would happen to him and his descendants (Genesis 15:13–16) and appeared physically as a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch between the animal pieces.

This ceremonial act was normative of that time for a promise between two parties. Each party would walk in between the sacrificed animals as a sign of their commitment to fulfill their responsibility in the agreement. Yet this act was unique. Only one party was committed to fulfill his responsibility in the agreement. Abram was asleep and God was the only one who walked through. This covenant is referred to as a unilateral covenant, which means that God was the only one required to keep the covenant. It did not matter what Abram did or did not do; God would keep his promises to Abram.

The promises that God gives come with a purpose. These promises were given to Abram so that Abram would be a blessing (Genesis 12:2). As God took the initiative to make this promise with Abram, Abram was to respond out of these promises and bless others. The language we find in Genesis 12:3 might lead us to think other nations needed to bless Abram first, but that was not the case. Abram was to begin the blessing to others, not wait for others to bless him and then receive a blessing. Just as God initiated this promise and covenant, Abram was to actively extend the gifts of the covenant to others.

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God's Unbreakable Promises

Daily Question

What is it like for you to think about God making promises thousands of years ago to generations before you? How does this truth encourage and strengthen your trust in our God who fulfills his promises?

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Comments (10)

It strengthens my trust in him because when I have made my own decisions in my life when I was impatient with God, it never worked out for me. It helps me to see that God keeps his promises and sometimes it takes awhile, but he will come thru. I choose to give my life to Jesus!

I am still encouraged today that His word is still Alive, Active, Powerful and makes no mistake when used with/by Faith declaring it over your situation. Hallelujah. Jesus is Lord.

Jennifer L Kambuou

I stand in awe within an unchanging God that never breaks a promise. When I think of all the promises that God made 4 thousand years ago and not a single one has been broken makes me look ahead with the confidence that He will keep His promises to me because He is a personal God. The season of waiting is always hard because I’m a do person, I like the action but when I’m waiting it’s when God works in my heart and I see His working through and not my own doing….

It’s kind of crazy to think about God making promises so long ago and still making promises to our lives today. It just shows how everlasting and faithful He is. This strengthens my trust in Him because I have thousands of years of history to look back on – actual proof of God fulfilling His promises in the most incredible ways. It shows that I can trust Him completely and He will come through in His own ways.

It’s amazing to think that the same God that fulfilled all the promises from the Bible is just as faithful & trustworthy today to keep His word! It’s very encouraging!

I love that our God is a promise maker and keeper. I think the part that really got me today was the fact that it did NOT matter what Abram did or did not do; God kept his promise. That part welled up the water works because he has always been pointing to Jesus. He has always been pointing to the fact that to the deepest parts of our brokenness we aren’t great promise keepers. We bend towards that which is broken in us. Knowing that he makes covenants that only he can fulfill, because only he is without fault is just incredibly encouraging. It’s also just such a good reminder to know that when we feel him speak something into our hearts he will be faithful to see it through…in his own time!

The promises God made so long ago gives me a foundation to stand on. A secure place to build my life. These promises have stood the test of time. History tells me that. This truth encourages me and strengthens my trust in God – He kept His promises for so many people who have followed Him in history why would He not do the same for me or for anybody else who is seeking a relationship with Him?

For me it is difficult to think that God could have made these promises all these years ago and then fulfilled them. I don’t know why it is so hard for me to wrap my head around. I know that I have seen Jesus in my own dreams, and one dream where he appeared significantly impacted my life, changed the direction of my life. So in this way I am encouraged and strengthened knowing that it is not just a story I am reading but that it is the way in which God communicates to us if we are willing to listen and trust in Him

At bible study the other night, a girl pointed out the fact that the same God who we read about making these promises and doing mighty miracles is the same God I serve today. I forget that. In fact, I don’t think I even fully grasp that truth. He was powerful. And He still IS powerful. Not just past tense. Knowing God can do anything and that He keeps His word is very encouraging. But it is still a truth I am coming to terms with all the time.

God started making promises a and convents with his people so that we see how trust and faith have moved for thousands of years. This shows me that even when those promises are questioned, they are still ultimately fulfilled by God. So my trust in him grows stronger by reading these promises. Even when I fail, God will hold true to his promises always.

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