Daily Devotion for June 19, 2024

 

Devotion:

For an audio version of this devotion, click here.

Read Genesis 12:1-3.

As we are focusing on the life lessons for the people of God from the book of Genesis, this scripture is a core passage for us to remember. God begins to create a people who will represent God to all the world and join God in blessing all the people of the earth.

This was a huge step of faith for Abram and his family! The first three words in verse 4 in the NRSV are “So Abram went,”. The second part of verse 4 tells us that Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran to Canaan. And this was a 550-600 mile journey on foot, depending on the route that they traveled! But the important lesson here is that God called Abram to leave his familiar surroundings to go a great distance to very unfamiliar surroundings and Abram was faithful and obedient to go where God was sending him.

God’s blessing becomes a key theme in the scriptures which follow. In fact, the word bless or blessing is used 88 times in Genesis! Along with God’s blessing, it is accompanied with the faithfulness of God’s promise. Blessing and promise are gifts from God.

Dr. Terence E. Fretheim writes in The New Interpreter’s Bible, “The blessing that God promises to Abram has deep levels of continuity with the blessing he has experienced in his life to this point. But his new promise is something more, something beyond what the creation in and of itself can provide. Within creation, blessing is powerful, life-enabling, and life sustaining, but finally insufficient for the fullest possible life. The promises bring blessing into the sphere of redemption.”

God will work and give blessing and promise through creation and redemption. This will continue on through Abram unto all the peoples of the earth.

We receive God’s blessing to also be a blessing and hear God’s call to share God’s blessing with all the peoples on earth. How often do we keep God’s blessing to ourselves or with others in our own familiar circles? Would we be willing to travel over 600 miles by foot to an unfamiliar place and people to share that blessing with others?

Personal Worship Option:

Sometimes we are called to join God in blessing our next door neighbors and sometimes we are called to join God in blessing others on the opposite side of the world from us. The key is listening to the still small voice of God and being willing to go wherever God is leading us, remembering God’s faithfulness always.