Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16 (NRSV)
Read Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 17When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. Verse 2And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous." Verse 3Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him,
Verse 4"As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. Verse 5No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. Verse 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
Verse 7I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
Verse 15God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. Verse 16I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her."
Devotion
Hey you! Yes, I’m talking to YOU. You who, like Abraham, have prayed for God to show up with blessings. You who have grown too weary to hear any promises of good news. You who, like Abraham, have entertained strangers having no idea that it was God coming to visit. You who, like Abraham, are lying with your face to the ground, afraid of hearing God’s blessing proclaimed to you. Lift your face. Hear good news. You don’t have to believe it now. Take a minute. You can laugh in disbelief with your partner if you need to. God’s promises can sound a bit absurd at times, but they are just as sure as the rising of the sun. God has called you “blessed and beloved.” God is on the brink of using you to bless many generations to come through your faithful actions. Trust in the one who has made you, named you, called you, and sent you.
Prayer
God of Abraham, give us faith to trust in the promises that feel unanswered.
God of Sarah, give us faith to look into the barrenness of our days and see new life.
God of the promise, give us trust to remember that you are good.
God of blessing, help us to see your new mercies every morning. Amen.