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Kristen Davis is going to do a study of Stephen Charnock's collection of sermons entitled The Existence and Attributes of God. Who in Jacksonville wants to join? These are sermons given to every day people so don't be intimidated and the book only costs $0.99 on Amazon Kindle! If you want to join, sign up with the following link.
We'll be meeting at The Loop (8221 Southside Blvd), each Monday at 7pm, starting Feb 8th! We'd love for you to join us!
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“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”- Genesis 12:2
“And he brought him outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’” – Genesis 15:5
“No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.” – Genesis 17:5
Last year we learned about Abraham and God’s promises to him. God promised a barren man land and a lineage that would be more numerable than the stars and through whom all nations would be blessed. At that time Abraham was 75 years old and had no children. He could not fathom the possibility of being the “father of a multitude of nations.” The promise did not make sense in light of the circumstances.
Fast forward 205 years, to the death of Abraham’s promised son Isaac, and Abraham’s descendants have gone from 0 to quite numerous. Abraham’s legacy included 8 sons, 21 grandsons, and 20 great-grand-children that are named in Genesis. While the circumstances had looked bleak, God’s promise trumped Abraham’s circumstances. Most people skip over the genealogies of Genesis, such as the one found in Genesis 36, but in light of God’s promise to Abraham these are extremely significant.
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The genealogies of Genesis show the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. Scripture doesn’t just arbitrarily tell us that God made Abraham into many nations, rather it lists the individuals that were a direct fulfillment of that promise. Genesis tells us their names, where they lived, what people groups they became, and what nations they ruled. They are individuals known by God, by name. They are not nameless faceless people, but people remembered by history individually as part of God’s plan.
Sometimes our circumstances can be overwhelming. We cannot see the fulfillment of God’s promises through the circumstances that surround us. But the God we worship is the same God who fulfilled His promise to Abraham. God took a barren old man and made him the father of many nations. He took Abraham’s circumstances and turned them on their head to bless all nations through Christ who came through Abraham’s lineage. God fulfilled His promise to Abraham and He will fulfill His promises to you. He is greater than our circumstances and we are not just nameless faceless people before God almighty. Rather we are known individually by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the one who is greater than any circumstance. So what circumstances are you letting cloud your view of God and His promises in your life? Take your circumstances to the Lord. Be as Abraham and believe in God’s faithfulness, in spite of your circumstances, and wait with the knowledge that God knows you personally and is greater than your circumstances!
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