“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
Genesis 12:1-3
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 21:1-3
The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. 2 She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. 3 And Abraham named their son Isaac.
God told Abram to leave his home and relatives and go to a place that He would show him. Abram trusted God and obeyed Him. God promised Abram that he would have a big family, that He would bless Abram, and provide for and protect him. God had a plan to use Abram to bless all the families of the earth. God is the Creator of all things. We were once able to have a relationship with God, but then sincame into the world and separated us. Because God loves us so much, He had a plan for us to be with Him again, by giving us His Son, Jesus. God used Abram’s big family to bring Jesus into the world many years later. Because Jesus came, died on the cross, and rose again, anyone on earth now has the chance to be saved from their sin. Just like Abram trusted God, we can trust God’s plan for us too.
#1 - Abraham obeyed God, even though he didn’t know where He was going to lead him. What are some ways you can obey God, even when you don’t know what the outcome will be?
#2 - Abraham and Sarah had to wait a long time for their son. What does this teach us about trusting God and His plan for our lives?
Thank You, God, for Your many promises and blessings. We know that You have a perfect plan for our lives. Help us to trust You and obey You, even when we do not understand or know what the outcome will be. We love You and want to trust You more each day. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
Genesis 14:19-20
Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.20 And blessed be God Most High who has defeated your enemies for you. “ Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.
Abram’s nephew Lot, along with many other people and their possessions, were captured during a war. Abram formed an army of men who found their enemies, chased them away, and rescued Lot and the other people. He brought them and their possessions back to Melchizedek, the king of Salem. Melchizedek said that God Most High was the one who defeated their enemies. It was God who provided Abram with his army and gave them success in rescuing the people. It was part of God’s plan to give Abram he needed and what defeat his enemies. We must rely on God to provide for us and trust that He has a plan for us. God promised Abram that He would protect him and give him what he needed. Because Abram trusted God’s promise, God’s plan eventually brought us Jesus. Jesus was the only one who could rescue us from our sin and bring us back to God. We can trust God’s promise by believing in Jesus and asking Him to forgive us, and He will. We need to trust that God will give us what we need, and we can do this because God has a plan for us.
#1 - Abram trusted God to provide for him. What are some areas of your life where you need to trust that God will provide for you?
#2 - Abram had faith in God’s plan for his life. How does believing that God has a plan for your life help you during times of uncertainty?
Thank You, God, for the perfect plan You have for our lives. We know that You provide everything we need. Help us follow Your guidance and put our trust fully in You. We love You and want to serve You in the plan You have for our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
Genesis 18:17-21
“Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked. 18 “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19 I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”
20 So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. 21 I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”
God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, which means “father of many nations.” He did this as a reminder of His promise and of all the people He would use to bring us Jesus. There were some very bad things happening in Sodom and Gomorrah. Because God is perfect, He must punish sin. He planned to see what was happening and wipe out the cities. Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family lived in Sodom, and he didn’t want them to be wiped out because Lot loved and obeyed God. Abraham asked God if He would still destroy the city if there were ten righteous people in it. God told him that He would not destroy it if there were that many righteous people there. Abraham knew that God loves His people, and He is a good and perfect Judge. So, he wasn’t afraid to ask God to spare the city for those few people. Just like God had a plan for Abraham, God has a plan for us, and we should go to Him with our needs, trusting that He will always do what is right and best for us. There are times where we sin and need forgiveness. That’s why God sent us Jesus, so that we don’t have to face punishment for our sin and can instead be forgiven. When we disobey God’s Word, we can go to God and ask for forgiveness. God loves us and He wants us to love and obey Him.
#1 Abraham trusted God’s plan for his life and kept praying. How do you put your trust in God each day?
#2 God gave Abraham a new name to remind him of His promise. What are some things that help you remember His promises?
Thank You, God, for all You provide for us and bless us with each day. We know that You have a perfect plan for our lives. Help us to grow our faith and put our trust in You completely. We love You and want to trust You more each day. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
Genesis 28:18-22)
The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. 19 He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz.
20 Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.”
Abraham’s son Isaac had two sons, Jacob and Esau. They didn’t get along. One day, Esau was very hungry and begged Jacob for some soup. Jacob told Esau that he would only feed him if he traded his birthright - role of being an important leader and valuable possessions. Esau did it because he didn’t trust God’s plan to provide for him. Jacob also wasn’t trusting God, because he tricked Esau into doing it.
Later, while travelling, Jacob stopped for the night and had a dream. God told Jacob that He is the God of his grandfather Abraham, that the ground he was on belonged to him, his family will keep having many families of their own, and that He would protect him and keep all His promises. Jacob responded by telling God that if He did all those things, then he would trust and obey Him. Jacob’s response showed that he didn’t trust God’s plan. Sometimes, we think we know what’s best and our plan is better than God’s. That is why we need Jesus, to forgive our sins and save us. We can trust that God has a plan for us too and choose to obey Him!
#1 Jacob and Esau didn’t trust God’s plan. They took matters into their own hands. How do we sometimes try to take control instead of trusting God?
#2 In what ways can we show we believe that God knows what is best for us and His plan is perfect for our life?
Thank You, God, for Your many promises and blessings. We know that You have a perfect plan for our lives. Help us to trust You and obey You, even when we do not understand or know what the outcome will be. We love You and want to trust You more each day. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.