16 days before Christmas! God's promise to Abraham that his descendants will be a blessing to the families of the world and that his descendants will be a great nation. This promise passed through his son, Isaac. When Isaac was 40 years old, he married Rebekah (Genesis 25:20), and they had two sons: Esau and Jacob. Although Jacob was a deceiver, God chose Jacob to be the bearer of His promise to Abraham. God had to humble Jacob first before His promise to his grandfather, Abraham, be fulfilled through him. Once he was humbled, God changed Jacob's name to Israel. Jacob eventually had 12 sons, and his 12 sons became the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel. When Israel finally possessed the promised land, the land was divided among the sons of Jacob. God's faithfulness to fulfill His promise to Abraham was unshakable. It weaves through generations. This is what God said to Jacob in Genesis 28:13-14, "I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants."
God was faithful to fulfill His promise to Abraham and was looking forward to the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ, to bless all the families of the earth. However, before our Lord Jesus was born through the descendants of Abraham, God would work through the nation of Israel to show the world that He was God. One lesson we can learn from today's devotion is that God can use anyone to fulfill His purpose on this earth. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were not perfect people, but God chose them to become a part of our Lord Jesus' ancestry. In this Christmas season, we need to believe and embrace God's faithfulness to us. Our God is always faithful to fulfill His promise to us that He is always with us and helping us through life.
It is incredible to see how God fulfills His promise to Abraham. We have Christmas because God already determined more than a couple thousand years ago that our Savior, Lord Jesus, would come from Abraham's descendants.
Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) How faithful is God in fulfilling His promise to Abraham? What can I learn from God's faithfulness? Do I trust God's faithfulness to me?
Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.
Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven, please humble my heart before you so that you can transform my life. Your plan and purpose in my life are better than the things this world can offer me. In this Christmas season, please help me to believe and embrace your faithfulness in my life. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
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