LIGHTING THE ADVENT WREATH: The First Candle

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 15:1-6

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

LESSON

God loves to make promises. Have you ever made a promise that was hard to keep? Has someone made a promise to you but then broken it? When that happens, we feel sad. The good news is that God never, ever breaks a promise! God made a promise to Abram and his wife Sarai. Abram and Sarai had no children, and since they were almost 100 years old, they thought it was too late. But God promised Abram that he would have a son of his own. God invited Abram to come outside, look up into the night sky, and try to count the stars. God said, “Your family will be like that – there will be too many to count!” Abram believed in God’s promises and had faith that it would happen. When you look up into the sky, see how many stars you can count. Give thanks to God for all the promises he has made and for all of your family members.

THINK OR TALK ABOUT

What are the promises God has made to you? Do you believe that God will keep his promises?

PRAYER

Faithful God, thank you for keeping your promises.