January 4, Gen 12-15

The following sections of today's readings are what leapt out at me:

Chapter 12:1 God told Abram: "Leave your country, your family, and your father's home for a land that I will show you.

When we make Jesus our Lord and Savior, many times in a spiritual sense we leave our families and country. Our family may not be Christian and may not like our new life in Christ Jesus. Our world is turned upside down for the better, we pack our bags and set out for our new eternal home - Heaven. I need to keep in mind, Earth is not my real home. I need to make sure I am not too attached to it and the things of this world.

Chapter 14:17-20
After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and his allied kings, the king of Sodom came out to greet him in the Valley of Shaveh, the King's Valley. Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine—he was priest of The High God—and blessed him:

Blessed be Abram by The High God,
Creator of Heaven and Earth.
And blessed be The High God,
who handed your enemies over to you.

Abram gave him a tenth of all the recovered plunder.


Melchizedek celebrated Communion with Abram, a foretaste of the shed Blood and broken body of Christ and then Abram tithed from the recovered plunder. These verses never fail to pierce my soul.

Chapter 15:1 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!"

God reminded Abram that He is Abram's shield. He is our shield too. We are heirs of Abraham, we need to remember and believe Who God is!

Verses 13-16: God said to Abram, "Know this: your descendants will live as outsiders in a land not theirs; they'll be enslaved and beaten down for 400 years. Then I'll punish their slave masters; your offspring will march out of there loaded with plunder. But not you; you'll have a long and full life and die a good and peaceful death. Not until the fourth generation will your descendants return here; sin is still a thriving business among the Amorites."

God gives Abram a prophecy concerning his future and the future of Israel. We know this has all come to pass. It's prophecy fulfilled and history to us. Why then do we allow doubt to creep in as we stand on Scripture? We need to remember Who God is and believe Him.