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To Live For God By Following His Word

The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Genesis 12:1-4 NLT

It’s never too late to follow God

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 NLT

He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. Genesis 12:5-6 NLT

Obedience to God’s word leads you into God’s presence

Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the LORD, who had appeared to him. After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the LORD, and he worshiped the LORD. Genesis 12:7-8 NLT

Following God isn’t always easy

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. Matthew 7:13 ESV

Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev. At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner. Genesis 12:9-10 NLT

This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not beyond your reach. Deuteronomy 30:11 NLT

Trust God’s word over your strategic plans

See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, butthey have sought out many schemes. Ecclesiastes 7:29 ESV

As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman.When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.” And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s beauty. When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace. Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels. But the LORD sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused him sharply. “What have you done to me?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow me to take her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and get out of here!” Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions. Genesis 12:11-20 NLT

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. Jeremiah 29:11-13 NLT

My Notes

Personal Reflection Guide

Take a few minutes to really contemplate the message today, find a quiet spot to dig a bit deeper as to how God wants to change your heart with his truths. How did the message impact you? Are you able to relate to God’s promises for you specifically or do you tend to think that those are just for the “important people” of the Bible? Do you have a hard time trusting God? If you are having a difficult time trusting God, ask God to reveal more of his character to you, so that your trust in him might grow. The men and women of the Bible are no different than we are, they are not more important or more valued by God; rather, they are examples to us of what we should or should not be doing in order to experience God and life the way he intended us to. Take a minute to examine your patterns of Bible reading, prayer, and church attendance. To what degree is quality time with God a priority in your daily life? Be honest with yourself and God as you answer these questions. Ask God to make himself increasingly more known to you; for knowing God is trusting God. As a final step, examine what, if anything, needs to change in your daily routines to make yourself more available to God and his promises for your life. Close your time with a prayer such as this: God, I trust you, even in the unknown and uncertain areas of my life. I ask that you would reveal more of yourself to me as I learn to grow my trust in you, even though that feels scary at times. Give me the strength to follow you in the day-to-day. Amen. P.S. If you haven’t joined us in our daily Bible reading plan on the Sandals App, start today and let God’s truths guide your life. 

Discussion Questions

  1. What stood out to you in your personal Bible reading time this week and what have you learned about God or yourself so far?
  2. Read Genesis 12:1-4. Abraham was a 75 year old man when God called him to start his impossible family. What is currently holding you back from following where God is calling you and is it a reason or an excuse?
  3. Read Genesis 12:5-8. In what specific ways has God’s word led you into his presence?
  4. Read Genesis 12:11-20. When have you created a workaround instead of following God’s word and what happened as a result?
  5. Read Deut 30:11. Which specific command of God did you once think was too difficult to follow, that you now follow regularly and what specific things did you do to overcome what was stopping you?
  6. Read Matthew 7:13. What easy or convenient things are you doing right now that are leading you away from God and what can we do to help you overcome them?