Have you ever had a rotten apple in your fruit bowl? If for some reason you don't notice it straight away, it doesn't take long before the other apples begin to go bad too! This is because as apples ripen, they give off a hormone in the form of a gas called ethylene which causes fruit to ripen. A rotten apple gives off lots of ethylene, so it can quickly affect the whole bowl. This reminds me of the way sin can spread quickly too!
Sin is a word that most people generally don't like to use in association with themselves or their behaviour. However, the truth is that once Adam and Eve sinned, they were banished from Eden, the place of God's perfect provision and all of their offspring continued to be tainted by sin.
Generations later, with sin totally permeating the human race, God called out a group of people who He would bless. This blessing would come through a covenant God made through Abraham. God promised that He would reestablish His kingdom authority on earth:
""I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.""
Genesis 12:2-3 NIV
"The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.""
Genesis 17:8 NIV
"I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,"
Genesis 26:4 NIV
God was clear that Abraham and his descendants would have three things —a land, a nation, and a blessing. In this way, God would advance His kingdom through a chosen people who would be permanently set apart for God's own purpose. Would God keep His promise, even to Abraham and his wife Sarah who at 90 years old was well past the age of child bearing? Of course He would! God always keeps His promises! Nothing would stop Him establishing His Kingdom!
We will continue to hear about how God establishes His Kingdom in the next devotion!
Pray:
Heavenly Father,
You know me so well and I just want to thank You for loving me even before I was born, even though You knew I would be affected by sin. It wasn't Your original plan for people when You made the first man and woman but I'm glad that You had a plan to turn things around and to reestablish Your Kingdom here on earth.
It's so encouraging to read of Your covenant to Abraham so long ago and to know that You did keep Your promises to Him and his descendants. Thank You that through Abraham, all the nations on earth would be blessed and that includes mine!
Yours is the Kingdom,
The power and the glory always belong to You,
Amen.
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Off & Running
SpiritualA Daily Devotional to point you forward in your journey with God. Do you sometimes find yourself lacking purpose, feeling depressed, without motivation and direction? 'Off & Running' will point you to the truths in the Bible which will give you conf...
