READ
Genesis 17:1-5, 15-21
CONSIDER
There are times when following God is easy. I can see his hand opening doors and moving me in a particular direction. There are other times when trusting is hard because I can’t see or understand how God is at work. It is easier to trust God when we can see Him in action.
Imagine Abraham and Sarah being given a promise of a child when Abraham was 75 years old. I can see how after a quarter of a century that their trust in God’s provision would have wavered. So often we rely on what we can see or understand in order to grow in trust.
Genesis 17 points us to the Lord Almighty (El-Shaddai). It is our trust in the nature and character of God that allows us to walk with God, clinging to his promises through the ups and downs of life. Praise be to God that He is the one who is faithful and continues to pour out his grace on us, teaching us to trust in Him moment by moment, just as He guided Abraham and Sarah.
See you Sunday as we continue in Genesis together.
Pastor Tim Sreedharan
PRAY
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph 3:20-21).
Lord, help us to cling to you who can do more than we ask or imagine. You are our Lord and will continue to guide and lead us as we walk, through your power, faithfully with You.
DIVING DEEPER
When have you failed to trust God? When do you struggle to take God at his word?
Read v1. This is the first instance of God referring to himself as El-Shaddai (God Almighty). How does this title for God help us to walk “faithfully and be blameless”?
Look through the covenants outlined in Genesis 12:1-3 & 15:1-6. How are they similar? How are they different?
Which of the promises in Scripture or that were outlined in the sermon do you struggle to believe (ref. 1 John 1:9; Heb 13:5; Eph 1:13-14; Rom 8:14-17)?
In what ways are your visible realities hindering you from trusting God? In what ways do you feel God is calling you to trust him in this season?