Genesis 12:1-3. 1Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2And 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. 3I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
God’s calling upon Abraham’s life was not just a command to go. It was a promise. A three-fold promise: land, seed, blessing.
- Land: The land I will show you. The land of Canaan. A land flowing with milk and honey. The Promised Land.
- Seed: I will make of you a great nation. Offspring more numerous than the stars in the sky.
- Blessing: I will bless you. Grace. Favor. Purpose. Mission. All nations blessed though you.
Think about the enormity of these promises, especially when we consider Abraham and Sarah’s starting point.
- Land: A far-off land they have never seen. A land that is already occupied by powerful city-states with kings and armies that aren’t exactly looking to give up their possession.
- Seed: A barren wife doesn’t exactly bode well for this promise. Literally, as things are currently, this will require a miracle or an adoption.
- Blessing: Honestly, these are promises from an unproven God. As far as we can tell, El-Shaddai is not the God of Abraham’s family. Remember, Terah was a polytheist (Josh. 24:2). How much knowledge Abraham had about the God of creation is unclear to us. Can he really trust this God? Can we?
It’s easy to see why Abraham would settle for far less than what God is promising. As we make our way through the Abraham story together it will become clear that his expectations were far lower than God’s promises. The Promised Land? I’ll be happy with wandering around the land, as long as I have a little spot to pitch my tent. A great nation? How about just one child? Even an adopted child. What about Lot? Or a servant maybe? (And let’s not even start to talk about Hagar and Ismael yet)
And what about blessing? The story of Abraham will reveal how, at times, he was quick to settle for just a little bit of blessing (grace) while adding in a whole lot of his own efforts, rather than fully trusting God to keep his promises.
But do any of us really understand what it means to let God take complete control of our lives? To bless us with ALL that we need to the point where our only response is one of faith? In Christ, we have been promised an enormous amount of spiritual blessing. Literally every blessing of Christ is ours to share. All that the man, Jesus, has been given by the Father we too have received in him. What are those blessings? Consider this list from Ephesians 1:
Ephesians 1:3-14. 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him. 11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
My guess is that, like me, you are settling for way less than what this passage is promising to you. I’d reckon that your faith is in a bit of holiness, some forgiveness, reluctant grace, conditional love, partial redemption, a smidge of wisdom, and just the occasional filling of the Spirit.
Big promises demand big faith. A faith in Christ that is big enough to receive all that he has promised: Complete holiness, predestined love, total forgiveness, lavished grace, complete redemption, all wisdom, and all the fullness of God in us by the Holy Spirit of promise. Are you settling for less than every spiritual blessing from God? Are you thriving in the “Promised Land” of your union with Christ and all of its blessings, or are you merely surviving?
The promise of great blessing is a great challenge. How are you responding to the challenge of receiving such amazing grace?
You: Are you receiving all the blessings God has for you in Christ, or does your starting point keep you limiting what God can do?
You in Christ: How does your union with Christ offer you every spiritual blessing of Christ?
Christ in you: Which of the blessings listed in Ephesians 1 gives you the most encouragement today?
Prayer: Father, your great promises challenge my little faith. I want to fully trust in all that you have promised to me in Christ. Help my unbelief. Amen.
To Live is Christ 