Abram's Example

Scripture – Genesis 15:7-11: He also said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” So the LORD said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) There are many things in the Old Testament that are hard to imagine, let alone understand. This would have been a bloody mess in our culture. And it would have taken a long time and a lot of effort to actually get all these animals together. Yet for Abram it seemed to be nothing extraordinary. God told him what to do, and Abram obeyed. He seemed to know what God had in mind for these sacrifices. And he was careful to not let the birds of prey (outside influences?) interfere.

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) It’s hard to look back through all the cultural differences. I mean, Abram lived a good 4,000 years or so before our time. Yet we have seen a man who heard God’s call in his life. He stepped out in faith to do what God commanded. He needed reassurance along the way. And even in his imperfection, God did not lose patience with him. I will keep Abram in mind as a mentor today. I will listen for God’s direction.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Please keep speaking, Lord. Sometimes I need reassurance that I’m understanding you correctly. There are various reasons for that. The basic truth is my faith is not always complete. Give me courage to move forward anyway – trusting you as Abram did.

An Invitation – If you’re interested in a face to face discussion about what we’ve been discovering in the Mini-Journal, a small group will be meeting tomorrow morning, 9:45 – 10:30am, at the Southgate Fun and Fitness Center (on Northline near I-75). Look for them around one of the tables in the Café area.