Today’s First Reading, Genesis 12:1-9, is one of the pivotal texts in the Bible. In this reading we see God’s Three-fold promise to Abraham: God promised to give Abraham land, descendants, and to bless him so that through Abraham God’s blessings would extend to all people. The rest of the Old Testament history is based on God’s fulfillment of this Three-fold Promise, and the various ways Abraham’s descendants responded to it – Abraham’s descendants were not always faithful to the covenant God established with them, even though God was always faithful to them.
This Three-fold Promise has its ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament in Jesus, the greatest descendant of Abraham. The promise of land is not a chunck of ground, but the kingdom of heaven; the promise of descendants are all who believe in Jesus – we are descendants of Abraham by faith, and God has blessed us through Jesus so that we would be a blessing to all people – bringing the Gospel of Jesus to all people. Let us be those through whom God’s promises and blessings extend to all people.
Faithful heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for making such a wonderful promise to Abraham, and for ultimately fulfilling this promise in ways beyond our imagination in Your Son Jesus, our Lord and Savior. As you have kept Your promises and blessed us in Jesus, so let us be means through whom You extend Your blessings to others. Enable is us to call others to follow You. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

The psalm for today is Psalm 121. This is a wonderful psalm of hope that God will take care of us throughout our lives. There are times when hardship and heartache come into our live, but God is faithful to lead us through. Let us trust His faithfulness, He will keep our going out and our coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
Lord, enable us to lift up our eyes to You, knowing that our help is in You alone. Enable us to trust in Your care and keeping of us from this time forth and forevermore. Amen.

The Second Reading, Romans 4:1-8, 13-17, is a bridge between the First Reading and the Gospel for today. In this reading we see that Abraham was put right with God, not by works, but by faith. So are we, we are saved by grace through faith. This faith makes us the spiritual descendants of Abraham in whom God fulfills His promises. Let us reexamine our lives – are we walking in faith? Do we trust in what God has done through His Son Jesus to give us forgiveness, life, and salvation?
Holy Lord, increase our faith, hope, and love. Enable us to rely on Jesus for our life, here and eternally. Keep us steadfast in Your Word, trusting in Your grace and mercy and not in our actions or works. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The Gospel is one of the best-loved passages in the Bible, John 3:1-17. In this passage we read that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” What a wonderful message! Thanks be to God! Trust in God in life, death, and into eternal life.
Heavenly Father, thanks and praise to You for Your great love in Jesus, love that leads us to faith in Jesus and to eternal life through Him. Each day surround us in Your love and keep us in faith. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.