September 7, 2024
Of all the important decisions a family must make, the selection of a place to eat can be the most debated and contentious. What is your family’s method of choosing where to dine? No matter what one family member suggests, it always seems another does not want it. They have either eaten at the proposed restaurant, don’t like it or the wait time to be seated is too long.
The irony in all this dining drama is that when the conversation began, everyone replied, “I don’t care,” when asked where they would like to go. The problem is in the picking of a place that pleases everyone.
Did you know that God has a group of “picked people?” His covenant with the Jewish people is well-established throughout the Old Testament and world history. We see these promises in detail with the life of Abraham and following for years to come.
These promises do not mean God loves one group more than another, but rather He has used them to be a conduit for all the world to see and experience His blessings. The cross and atonement of Jesus is the definitive statement that God loves all people of the world and desires them all to come to a saving relationship with Him.
Although separated by time, culture and space, we are the direct beneficiaries of the line of Abram. The ultimate blessing of the Abrahamic covenant was Jesus.
Abram’s offspring, who offers us all a covenant relationship with God. Notice in these verses, the word “and.” This small, repeated word may not seem important, but look at what words follow each time. With each “and” God reveals another blessing.
The same is true for you and me. If we were to stop and begin to list all the ways God has been good to us, we would have a lot of “ands” to consider. God is a giving God, and His blessings are without limit.
Do you realize you will never fail if you trust God? We fall short or stumble in our Christian walk when we choose to trust in our judgment or understanding. Our minds and reasoning are incredibly flawed, selfish and short-sighted.
With God, His wisdom is perfect and pure. His way will always be the best. By having faith in God, Abram is “credited as righteous.” God is not expecting us to be perfect or have all knowledge, but He does require us to believe Him. Our hope is founded on the word of God and the work of the cross, not our effort.
It seems these days no matter where you travel, there is road or interstate construction taking place. The same is true for Christians.
When you become a believer, you become under construction by the Lord. His desire is for each of us to look, live and love like Jesus. This is a lifelong process and does not happen overnight. The construction never ends on this side of Heaven.
The more we recognize God’s blessings in our lives and the more we obey, the greater the construction project will go. This does not mean there will not be potholes and detours along the way, but the longer we travel, the more grateful and dependent on God we should be. Don’t be afraid to stand out in this world!
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This lesson was written by Bobby McKay, pastor of New Liberty Baptist Church in Morton, Mississippi, and originally published by The Baptist Paper. This study is based on the Bible Studies for Life curriculum from Lifeway Christian Resources.
