2017 Day 4: God's Promise to Abraham

God's promise and Abraham's faith

Ornament: Camel

Scripture Readings: Genesis 12:1-9
Genesis  15:1-21; 17:1-8, 15-19
Matthew 1:1
Hebrews 11:8-12

Verse: Genesis 15:6

Christmas Song: O Come all ye Faithful

Hymn: The God of Abraham Praise

Jesus Storybook Bible: Son of Laughter (56-61)
Big Picture Story Bible: God's Big Promise (67-81)
The Biggest Story: Chapter 3 (44-53)
The Ology: God Makes a Promise (73)
The Gospel Story Bible: God Makes a Covenant with Abram (18-19)

     If we were amazed by God's promise to Noah yesterday, today is even more amazing. God makes a BIG promise to a man we know as Abraham and to his descendants. Can you imagine God speaking to Abraham and telling him to go out and count the stars? I have always imagined the sky being thick with stars as Abraham looks up and is overwhelmed by the greatness, power, and majesty of God. I would love to have seen Abraham the moment that he believed God. I wonder if his eyes got big, or if he simply smiled and just knew God's promise was true? Part of me wonders if he burst into song in adoration of the splendor of what he saw. Whatever happened, we know that Abraham did believe God, and it was counted to him as righteousness (Romans 4:22-24). The rest of the Bible speaks of this but more on that tomorrow.

     Abraham had faith even though what God promised seemed impossible. God, in His grace, gave the stars for Abraham to actually see. When I find myself in the shoes of Adam and Eve - doubting the goodness of God instead of obeying His good word, or laughing at God's good word in disbelief as Sarah did instead of simply trusting, I too, can go out and look at the stars and remember God's promise to Abraham. I too, have this visible reminder that God ALWAYS keeps His promises.

    Tell your children that part of this story is for us! This is not simply a story about Abraham. In Romans 4:22-24, Paul writes that if we believe in Jesus, our faith will be counted to us as righteousness just like Abraham's faith was counted to him as righteousness!  God knew Abraham and Sarah would fail, but God's promise was bigger than their sin. God's promise is bigger than my sin. God's promise to us and to our children is that we are not saved by the good things we do, but we are saved by trusting in what Jesus has done for us. This is the promise of the Gospel. This is Grace in all its fullness.

Tidings and tidbits:

• Here is a fun idea for making the ornaments for your advent tree
• The hymn for today is a great text to teach your children if you don't know it already
• Take your kids out if it's a clear night and tell them to try to count the stars. Talk about the God who made all those stars is the same God who promised Jesus to be our Rescuer.
• Look up pictures taken by the Hubble Telescope. Show your children the majesty of God.

Resource Corner

If you are still looking for a Christmas gift for kids or grandkids, let me recommend Fool Moon Rising. This is a wonderful little story about how our lives should reflect the light of Jesus just like the moon reflects the light of the sun. What I like most about this book is that it also rhymes. Perfect for little people to listen to and to remember. This is a favorite on our book shelf! 

Every family should have a hymnal! If you want a good way to reach your children's hearts, teach them to sing the Gospel! There are many wonderful hymnals out there, and many have come out recently. They are pricey, so watch for deals. It is worth the investment to have this treasure in your household. It is a wonderful thing to be able to sing together as a family, especially songs that have been in the universal church for generations. I would encourage you to look at getting a hymnal for your family this coming year and singing from it often. Don't be afraid to mark up the pages (can you believe I said that?!). Cherish the words of theses songs that echo the message of the Gospel. My Uncle says, "things learned in song are remembered long." Work faithfully so that the things your children long remember are the songs of the faith! I am linking to a Christmas carol and a hymn every day. Please don't get overwhelmed or feel like you are failing if your children can't learn a new song each day. I do sing each song to them after our story, and I review some from previous days. Singing is really important to us, so I have built in time after Bible story to sing. Sometimes, it's just each person picking out a song, but sometimes, it's much more. Be flexible and be willing to lay aside some of your household agendas to sit and sing the Gospel with your children. It is a beautiful thing for me to hear my children singing as we play or walk in the grocery store. It is Grace that I can hear the Gospel coming from the lips of my children. More on this in the coming days with a song list to help you in the new year. A song I linked to yesterday is fitting for today:

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward

'Til the race is finished and the work is done

We walk by faith and not by sight

-Getty, By Faith