Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: Genesis 12:1-9

This week our focus shifts to God’s desire that once we have drunk deeply from the well of His Living Water for ourselves, we should turn outward and allow the Living Water to become a river that flows out of us to bring life and beauty and abundance to those around us. (See John 7:37-39).

Today’s reading from Genesis 12 shows us that this has always been God’s heart. God called Abram to leave his home country, his own people, and his father’s household, so that he could walk with God into the blessings God had in store for him. These blessings included physical land and a great family. More important, however, was the ultimate purpose of these blessings. God told Abram: “I will bless you …
    and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you …
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.’

The greater purpose of God blessing Abram was that Abram could, in turn, become a conduit for those blessings to flow to everyone else. Over many centuries of history, and in many different ways, Abram and his descendants missed the greater point of being blessed. They sought to hold those blessings to themselves, and became prideful of their blessed status, failing to pass on the blessings to others. These failings led to much unnecessary heartache and pain, and were the focus of many of the prophets’ corrective words. Yet, God graciously and faithfully kept His promises, and from Abram’s family the Saviour of all Humanity was born – bringing life and blessing to all nations.

Now, as followers of this Saviour, Jesus, we hold the same calling as Abram did. We too are called to receive the blessing of God’s abundant life and goodness, and to drink deeply from His “Living Water”. Like Abram, we are also called to be “blessed to be a blessing” by becoming fountains through which His Living Water flows – pouring His life and goodness, generosity and grace out into the world around us in word and deed.

With hindsight, we can see that God’s journey with Abram has influenced world history in ways Abram could never have imagined, but it all began with one step of obedience: “So Abram went, as the Lord had told him” (v.4). And, as Abram journeyed with God, he could only ever do so one step at a time. Today, may we find the grace to take the next step towards being the conduits of God’s blessings, which God calls us to be in His world.

Lord, I long to be a blessing to others, and to make Your Name famous. Your heart has always been to bless all nations through those whom You have graciously drawn to walk with You. May I be such a person in ever-increasing measure. Please change my heart, so that I may not seek blessing for my own sake, but for the sake of Your glory and of those who stand in need of Your grace and goodness. Amen.