Kristen Van Bueren
January 7
Genesis 15-17
Summarize what you read in one paragraph: Genesis 15-17 give the account of God’s covenant He made with Abram – and Abram’s faith, which was credited to him as righteousness. It also shows the impatience of Sarai and Abram both – unwilling to wait on the Lord to fulfill His promise – Sarai gives Abram her servant, who gives birth to Ishmael. This resulted in a conflict within the family which is still evidenced today – thousands of years later. This section concludes with God changing Abram’s name to Abraham, and Sarai’s name to Sarah – and giving Abraham the promise that Sarah would become pregnant and give birth to a son, Isaac, one year from then.
“When 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…No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.’”
Genesis 17:1-5
How does what you read change your vision of God? God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, which means father of a multitude, before Abraham actually had Isaac. God named Abraham not for what he already was/had become – but for what he would become. God saw who Abraham would be – this was His vision for Abraham.
How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others? This was powerful to me because so often I view myself from the perspective of what I am right now, or what I have been in the past. But that is not how God sees me – God views me not for who am I right now, but who I can grow into becoming. God’s vision for me is one who will bear more and more the image of His son! That is so inspiring to me!
How will you Go With God because of this reading? (What is an action step?) It is often so very easy to believe that lies that our enemy tries to speak over us – over me. But because of this passage, and how I now believe that God sees/views me, I am going to try to fight all the harder to resist the lies spoken over me – whether they come from family, co-workers, neighbors, friends, or even people in the church – that I am not who I used to be, and not even who I am right now – but that God sees me and has a vision for who I will become!
Where did you see Jesus in these chapters? (What made you think about Jesus?)
This is exactly how Jesus treated his apostles that he called. They were a hodgepodge group of men – not the most likely group of 11 (less Judas) that one would think to rally to change the world. But Jesus didn’t see them for who they were, but whom they would become. He even followed in his father’s footsteps when he changed Simon’s name to Peter!
2020 Bible Vision 
Amen!! Thinking about Gods journey for us and what he can do with our lives rather than what we think we’re capable of is inspiring.
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This passage has always challenged my pragmatic thought processes. I have always struggled with the impossible notion of a child being born to such old people. I am lead to the truth, which is, God is working in the Temporal and the Eternal realms at the same time. I can not fathom His ways. It makes me wonder what God is up to in my life that is this amazing!
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This is a great insight, Kristen! It is hard for me to wrap my mind around the concept that God sees me as who I will be, and not who I was or even who I am now. God has vision for me, and that vision is the real reality. It is exciting, humbling, and inspiring to think that, in God’s perspective, I am already completely transformed into the image of Jesus. I will also use this truth to combat Satan’s lies that I am not enough or can never change!
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Wow those 3 chapters are packed. I love that as God Almighty is calling us to what we will become, like Abraham. He also shows us that Abraham was not perfect…his choices were not credited to him as righteousness or his ideas of how he would make God’s promise a reality (let’s use Ishmael) but simply his faith. He believed in the Lord, and HE accounted it to him as righteousness. What a gracious Father!
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I’m so encouraged to know God is so patient with us as He molds us into maturity! And that He sees us as we will be in maturity already!
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I think your statement “God views me not for who am I right now, but who I can grow into becoming” spoke to me the most out of anything I’ve read so far with this Bible Vision journey. I often question why things happen in my life, get frustrated by stumbling blocks, and don’t understand why I’m going through something. But when I look at it from the perspective that God sees who he’s molding me into, it’s a lot easier. It’s like that analogy about the tapestry. God sees the beautiful finished product, but more often than not, we see the tangled mess on the back side. Thanks!!
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