March 6, 2023 

Today's Reading: Gen. 12:1-9 

Daily Lectionary: Gen. 18:1-15, Mark 6:14-34 

Now the LORD said to Abram…“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. I 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.” (Genesis 12:1-3) 

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God always blesses His children, even when it doesn’t seem like it. Abram messes up. A LOT. Yet God is faithful to His promise and watches over and guides him so that He may fulfill the promise He made. 

Abram leaves Ur and goes on this journey to what will become the Promised Land, within which the Messiah will eventually be born. Along the way, Abram’s journey takes him through trouble in Egypt, God renames him Abraham (because of the promise), he prays for his nephew Lot’s safety in Sodom, he is faced with the unbelievable decision to sacrifice Isaac, his only son… The challenges he faces are incredible. 

Yet, through all of them, and even in the times when Abraham and Sarah wrest the decisions away from their gracious God and go their own way (always into deeper trouble than if they’d followed God’s direction!). The Lord is faithful to His promise. 

Remember that, dear baptized child of God. Your Lord and God is the same God of Abraham, the same God who guided and directed His people down through the ages until the time had fully come, and His Son was born of woman, in the same flesh as Abraham, and lived for you, and for Abraham, and for all the faithful. 

One of Abraham’s blessings is that billions and billions of people on earth still know his name and hold him in esteem as a great hero of the faith. No, he wasn’t perfect, and I’m sure he’d be the first to call you out for making him more than he is, but he was faithful, and that is enough. 

Your life might not take the same number of twists, turns, surprises, or tragedies; but I’m sure this world will cause you enough grief to wonder some days if the Lord still remembers His promises to you. Be assured that He does; He remembers you and His promise because His one and only Son, your risen Lord Jesus, intercedes for you before the Father. He does it always, because you’ve been washed in His blood, marked with his holy cross, and named in his Book of Life, just like Abraham. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Gracious God, You send great blessings New each morning all our days. For Your mercies never ending, For Your love we offer praise. Lord, we pray that we, Your people Who Your gifts unnumbered claim, Through the sharing of Your blessings May bring glory to Your name. (Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings LSB 782:1) 

-Pastor Duane Bamsch is the Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, CA  and the President of Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Patrick Sturdivant, Development and Marketing Executive at Higher Things.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.