So He Built (Genesis 12:7)

 


Saturday, January 25, 2025


Psalms 62; 63

Genesis 12

John 8:48-59


Observance: Conversion of Paul the Apostle


So He Built (Genesis 12:7)


When is it appropriate to say “thank you”? If someone says that they will do something for you, most of us would say it then, in spite of the fact that they haven’t done it yet. But what about when God says he will do something for us, even if he hasn’t yet done it?


This is what happened with Abram at the oak of Moreh. He had already followed God’s promise from his homeland at Ur, just inland a bit from the Persian Gulf, all the way up the Euphrates to Haran at the border of modern-day Turkey, and then down again to Canaan in modern day Israel. God had said he would do something for Abram (several things, in fact), and Abram said “thank you” before the promise had been fulfilled.


The faith of Abram is a well-worn theme for Christians who have been around for a while. And rightfully so: Jesus talks about him, and he pops up all through the New Testament letters. But is it one of those things that, through repetition, just slides off our brain?


Today we read about how Abram gave thanks to God before God had done what he said he would do. That is the type of faith that is filled with both trust and love: trust that God would do what he said he would do, and love revealed in the way we talk to God. We could say that, in the light of Jesus, we have a more solid basis for our trust in God, and a greater revelation of God’s love. But that doesn’t mean there is no longer any need for trust or love. And if our relationship with God is marked by trust and love, how does that affect our relationships with our neighbour?


How is your trust in God at the moment? What about your love for God? How are they related?


God in whom I place my trust: fill me with your love, so that I may be a blessing to the people around me.

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