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Challenges of Following God
Seek God’s Purpose

Genesis 12:1-3 (Monday)
“The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (NIV)
1) Read these passages carefully. Notice the order: Receiving God’s call, receiving God’s command, faithful obedience, God’s blessing.
2) Why is our obedience so crucial to receiving God’s blessing? (See Genesis 22:1-18; Genesis 26:5 (In these two verses remember how God had already spoken these promises to Abram, but they couldn’t be brought to fruition until Abram had demonstrated his complete obedience to God—no obedience, no blessing!) Also, take time to read Deuteronomy 6:3, especially, 6:17-19. Obedience always, always leads to blessing!
3) What was necessary for Abram to believe God’s promises (one of which was to make him a great nation) at this point in his life? (See Genesis 11:29-30; Hebrews 11:1-19.) You also have to keep in mind that Abram was 75 years of age when he set out to follow God, and Sarai, his wife was 65! Of course, that was probably considered middle-aged at that time, but, still, they were no spring chickens!
4) God blessed Abram—what was Abram to do with his blessing? How ready are you to share God’s blessings with others?
5) What are some ways we, as Christians, can pass on the blessings of God to others?
6) How did God fulfill His promise to bless all nations through Abram? (See Galatians 3:16.)
Genesis 12:4-6 (Tuesday)
“So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.” (NIV)
1) God gave Abram instructions as he set out for the new land? Did He reveal everything to Abram, or just what he needed to know at the time? I want to quote Bill T. Arnold here: “Often God’s will for our lives is revealed gradually, and the most difficult part of obedience can be waiting.”
2) According to the book, “Experiencing God,” throughout the Old Testament, God spoke to his people in various ways:
a) angels (Genesis 16
b) visions (Genesis 15)
c) dreams (Genesis 28-10-19)
d) The use of the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30)
e) symbolic actions (Jeremiah 18:1-10)
f) a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12)
g) miraculous signs (Exodus 8:20-25)
h) and others
3) Today, do you think God gives us specific instructions to guide us in our daily lives? If so, how does He speak to us today?

Let me assure you, God is still in the business of speaking to his children.

· He speaks through His Word as revealed by the Holy Spirit (See John 16:13-14; John 10:27.)
· He speaks to us through prayer (Acts 1:23-26; Acts 6:3-6; Acts 10:9-16; Acts 10:30-35.)
· He speaks to us through our circumstances (See Job 1-2; Job 42:12-17; Genesis 37-45 and Genesis 50:15-20, 2 Corinthians 11:18-30; 2 Corinthians 12: 1-10.)
· He speaks to us through His church (1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:4-16
·
4) Do you think God ever uses the methods described in question 2 today? What do you base this belief on? Before you answer, you should probably take a good look at the Book of Acts!
5) Had Abram fully obeyed God at this point-vs. 4? Look at Genesis 13:1-13; Genesis 14:11-16; Genesis 18:17-23 and Genesis 19:12-16 to see what failure to fully obey caused in Abram’s life. Disobedience always brings consequences. We can learn much from these passages because Lot is an example of a righteous man (2 Peter 2:7-8) who becomes friends with this world. He and his family were spared, but only by the skin of their teeth! As believers, we cannot be friends of this world, James 4:4.
6) And just a side note, looking back on the world or on sin has its own consequences! (See Genesis 19:26.) Can anybody testify?
7) Have you ever had to face the consequences of your own disobedience? Explain.
8) Abram was a wealthy man – vs. 5. He was from Ur, which was a highly civilized trade center during this time. Not only was he wealthy, but probably very well educated. Now, he was being called to a nomadic life—wandering and dwelling in tents! A lot of people are afraid to step out of their comfort zone—does this sound familiar? How can this fear affect your usefulness to God? How does this hinder God placing us into a greater area of service?
9) Verse 5 states they “finally arrived”? Sounds like they might have traveled great distances (for those days and times), and with livestock and family with him, Abram probably had to make several stops along the way! Getting to the promise land took a while! Have you ever had to wait on God? Has this proven to strengthen or weaken your faith? Explain.
10) Now, you would think that after being obedient and having “finally arrived” in Canaan, God would have made sure that life would be great from that point on (many new believers fall into this trap). But, what does verse 6 tells us about Canaan?
11) The Canaanites (descendants of Noah’s son Ham) were merchants or traders who followed after and worshiped false gods. So, we see that right away, Abram was faced with spiritual opposition. Have you ever experienced spiritual opposition in your walk with Christ? What was your response?
Genesis 12:7-9 Wednesday)
“The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
8. From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
9. Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.” (NIV)
1) Here we see God reinforcing his promise—with His Presence – verse 7! What was Abram’s immediate response?
2) Do you think it is possible to see God and not fall down and worship? (Exodus 34:5-8 (and that was only seeing his back!); Judges 6:11-24; Isaiah 6:1-8; Revelation 1:12-17.)
3) In entering Canaan, Abram brought his faith in God and his religious practices with him. He set up altars and worship where ever he went. You can be reasonably sure that his worship did not go unnoticed by the Canaanites. Are you careful to take your faith with you—to the market place, to the office, to school? Do others see evidences of our own belief or, God forbid, do we participate in the practices of those around us?
4) My NIV commentary says that Abram set up these altars for two reasons 1) to worship the one true God, and 2) as reminders of God’s promises to him. Have to ever taken the time to look back to see how God was faithful to you in the past so that you could believe that He would be faithful to you during your present time of trouble or need? (Everyone should take the time to reflect on God’s faithfulness to them—make this a goal for yourself—write it down! Actually being able to see God’s past faithfulness helps to build up our holy faith!) (See 1 Chronicles 16:11-12; Psalms 63:6; Psalms 77:11; Ephesians 2:12-13; and Hebrews 10:32.)
Genesis 12:10-13 (Thursday)
“Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, `This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.” (NIV)
1) Testing—it comes to every child of God. Here we see that God sent severe famine into the land of Canaan, the promise land! Has God sent any famines (or other obstacles) into your life? How do or did you respond? (See Hebrews 12:1 – see this in the KJV!)
2) Was Abram’s fleeing the famine a lack of faith in God? Why, or why not? (See Matthew 2:1-15 and Matthew 10:23.)
3) Well, I just have to say it—how would you like to be 65 and still be described as a very beautiful woman?
4) Was Abram lying when he asked Sarai to tell the Egyptians that she was his sister? (See Genesis 20:12.)
5) Is telling a half-truth the same as outright lying? Explain.
6) What does this tell you about Abram’s faith at this point? Before we are too quick to judge, read Proverbs 24:16.
Genesis 12:14-20 (Friday)
“When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, `She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!" Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.” (NIV)
1) Commentators point out that telling this half-truth would have protected Abram from individuals who had to “ask” his permission to give his “sister” away in marriage. What he didn’t count on was being approached by Pharaoh who didn’t need to ask permission—he was king and could just take what he wanted!
2) How would you have felt if you were Sarai?
3) At this point, what type of witness was Abram before the Egyptians?
4) Are you ever aware of how your own actions may reflect on your faith in God? Do they hurt or help the cause of Christ?
5) Notice where God’s justice fell. Does this surprise you? Why?
6) Here we see God intervening to prevent an even worse sin? Have you ever witnessed God intervention in your own life? Share.
7) What part does grace play here?
8) What lessons do you think Abram learned from this experience? (Proverbs 3:5-6)
9) One final note, take a look at Hebrews 11—the Hall of Faith and read about Abraham. What is he remembered for? Do you see any sins mentioned? Hmm! (See Psalms 103:12!) Hallelujah!