Begin your time today by getting quiet before the Lord.
Bible Reading
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, The Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make a covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’
Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations, No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.'”
– Genesis 17:1-6
Devotion
Most people have thought about what it would be like to have a different name. Why did our parents choose the name they did? In the above text, God changes Abram’s name to Abraham to reflect what He was getting ready to do in his life. In this chapter, God reveals to this 99 year old man that his 90 year old wife was going to have a son. This was going to take great FAITH on Abraham’s part. This is why God reveals Himself to Abraham as God Almighty.
One of my favorite Bible passages is 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.” When we begin our faith journey with Christ, God begins the process of transforming us into something very different. Just as Abraham was given a new name to reflect what God was doing in his life, when we trust Christ, God wipes our slate clean and begins to write a new story. This story is not written on computers or on paper but in our hearts for all the world to see and read.
The Big Question
In Galatians 6:15b, Paul writes, “What counts is a new creation.” How has your faith in Christ changed who you are?
In what ways has God rewritten your story?
Conclude in prayer and silence reflecting on how God has revealed Himself to you today.