Jesse Tree Day #5

One of the most precious stories in the Bible is the story of Abraham and Isaac up on the mount. Abraham is about to sacrifice this child that he prayed for so long and that God had promised to him. This is the topic for today's advent. God's promise to Abraham.

Symbol: Dark sky with stars

Scripture: Genesis 12: 1-7; 15:1-6 (The Message)

Topic: God's promise to Abraham

Abram and Sarai

¹ God told Abram: "Leave your country, your family, and your father's home for a land that I will show you.

^2-3 I'll make you a great nation

and bless you.

I'll make you famous;

you'll be a blessing.

I'll bless those who bless you;

those who curse you I'll curse.

All the families of the Earth

will be blessed through you."

^4-6 So Abram left just as God said, and Lot left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot with him, along with all the possessions and people they had gotten in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan and arrived safe and sound.

Abram passed through the country as far as Shechem and the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites occupied the land.

⁷ God appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your children." Abram built an altar at the place God had appeared to him.

¹ After all these things, this word of God came to Abram in a vision: "Don't be afraid, Abram. I'm your shield. Your reward will be grand!"

^2-3 Abram said, "God, Master, what use are your gifts as long as I'm childless and Eliezer of Damascus is going to inherit everything?" Abram continued, "See, you've given me no children, and now a mere house servant is going to get it all."

⁴ Then God's Message came: "Don't worry, he won't be your heir; a son from your body will be your heir."

⁵ Then he took him outside and said, "Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You're going to have a big family, Abram!"

⁶ And he believed! Believed God! God declared him "Set-Right-with-God."

After God promised to make Abraham famous and give him a great nation He promised Abraham what he really wanted...a son. All of Abrahams life he had longed for a child, and now in his old age he thought it would never be possible. But then God promised him that his descendants would be as vast as the stars in the sky. What a promise!

God can do huge things in our lives too! Thank God for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He is going to do!