God of My Sister
Bible in a Year: Joshua 10-12; Luke 1:39-56
Lord, God of my master Abraham, . . . please grant success to the journey on which I have come. Genesis 24:42
Today's Scripture: Genesis 24:1-4; 10-12
Insight
Genesis 24:1 says, “Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way,” affirming God’s covenantal faithfulness to him. Abraham had sought to be faithful to the covenant by preparing for Isaac’s posterity and finding him a wife. He wasn’t to marry a Canaanite woman, for she might lead him into idolatry (see Exodus 34:15; Deuteronomy 7:3-4). Isaac was also to remain in the promised land (Genesis 15:18-21; 24:6-8). This task of finding the right wife would be difficult, but Abraham was sure that God would provide (24:7). His servant, a man of faith like Abraham, asked God to lead him, a prayer which was quickly answered (vv. 12-15). This account closes with the servant affirming God’s “kindness” (v. 27, Hebrew hesed or “unfailing steadfast love”) and faithfulness to Abraham. Today, we show others the genuineness of our faith when we trust in God’s faithfulness.
Amina had come to Christ in a country where Christianity was illegal. She began to share her new faith with her brother, who rejected her appeals. Then he contracted a dangerous lung condition. Alone in a dark hospital room, he gasped for breath. He wasn’t ready to acknowledge Jesus as God’s Son, and he feared speaking the name of Christ aloud. (Someone might hear him!) So he called out, “God of my sister, please help me now!” Suddenly, he could breathe easily, and the room brightened inexplicably. His journey to belief in Jesus began that day.
In Genesis, Abraham’s servant went on a quest to find a wife for his master’s son. First, he prayed to the “God of my master Abraham” (24:12). Why? The servant knew God had told Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation” (12:2). God repeated that promise (15:2-5), and “Abram believed the Lord, and [God] credited it to him as righteousness” (v. 6). The servant could trust “the God of my master Abraham” (24:27, 42, 48) because he’d witnessed the reality of Abraham’s faith.
With our words, we invite others to follow Jesus. More important, however, is the way we live before them. The reality of genuine faith in the one true God speaks volumes.
May the God of Abraham and of Amina use our lives to draw others to Him.
Reflect & Pray
How have you sensed God intervening in your life? In what ways does your life reveal your trust in Him?
Wise Father, may my life reflect the light of Jesus in everything I do. May others see in me a genuine faith in You—the God who hears us.