Reminders
Posted by Karah
Pause
Close your eyes today and sit in silence, focusing your mind and heart on God.
Today, we reach a point in Abram’s story where he needed a reminder. God had promised to make Abram’s descendents into a great nation and to bless him with land, but years had passed. The fulfillment of God’s promises seemed no closer than they had in the beginning.
Read Genesis 13:14-18. As you read, look for God’s gentle reminder. Underline it in your Bible when you find it.
“After Lot had separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, “Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west, for I will give you and your offspring forever all the land that you see. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.” —Genesis 13:14-17
God helped Abram to refocus on what was true: God’s promises. When has God done the same for you? Explain.
Continuing to follow God and trust His plan when it seems like nothing is happening is difficult. Who in your life has been a good example of trusting God even when it was difficult to see how God was at work in a situation? What have you learned from that person’s example?
In what situations in your life do you find it difficult to see God at work? Are there circumstances that you don’t think could be any part of His plan? List a few.
The Point
God continually reminded Abram of His plan, even when Abram couldn’t see it. He does the same for us.
Respond
Pray over the list you just created. Ask God to open your eyes to how He is at work in those situations. Pray that He would help you trust Him even when you can’t see what He’s doing.
Look through an old journal or think back over your life. How can you see God’s hand on your life, bringing you to where you are today? Thank God for how He has worked in your life and how He will continue to do so in the future.
Who in your life needs a reminder that God is still at work? What steps will you take this week to remind that person how God is working through them? List two.
Memorize Philippians 1:6. Recite it when you feel discouraged or can’t see how God is working through you. Share it with Christian friends who need encouragement.
Behind the Story
The place of worship mentioned in Genesis 13:18 is the first and only piece of land that Abram actually owned in Canaan. While his descendants would be given the entire promised land, Abram was merely a sojourner there. He did, however, buy this plot of land—the field of Machpelah near Mamre—as a burial site for Sarah. He was eventually buried there, too.
Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest Alumni and Friends, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Weekly Devotions