“I will be their God”
God’s Heart
Opening your heart to God’s Word is a beautiful, life-altering experience. God’s Word is His heart. As we read it and reflect upon it, the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and guides us according to His perfect will for our lives.
In human relationships, keeping promises and trusting others can be complicated and associated with pain and disappointment. Sometimes we carry the issues we face in such relationships into our relationship with God. In the story of Abraham, who the apostle Paul refers to as the father of us all, we learn about living in the hope of the promises of God and trusting the one who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist (Romans 4:16-17). God is faithful and worthy of our trust. In His everlasting covenant with Abraham, He promises Abraham to be God to him and his offspring after him. God’s promise isn’t from afar, bestowed upon Abraham from a detached ruler of the universe. It is relational. Within God’s promise to Abraham, we find our Savior - the one who tears down all barriers to His presence - the one who gives us personal access to God Almighty.
Genesis 17:1-8:
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, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 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. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I 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. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
In Genesis 22:18, after Abraham obeys God by setting Isaac upon the sacrificial altar, God repeats His promises and assures Abraham that it is through his offspring that all the nations of earth shall be blessed.
“…and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
God’s promise to Abraham involves 1) Offspring, 2) Land, and 3) Blessings to the Nations.
This promise belongs to us in every way - not only that we are offspring and the recipients of the blessings to the nations, but that as coheirs with Christ, our inheritance far exceeds the promise of the Promised Land - as we will be the very heirs of God. God’s covenant with His people is far-reaching.
The covenantal relationship between God and Abraham is built upon two things - a promise and faith. The promise of God and the faith of Abraham are the building blocks of their relationship. This is significant because God’s promise to Abraham ultimately leads to the redemption of every person who puts their faith in Jesus Christ for generations to come. It was this promise upon which millions of believers would build their lives on earth and find the very foundation for their hope for eternity. As Abraham’s offspring, we are people of promise.
Romans 4: 13-18:
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith… 16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
We see in Romans 4 that the realization of the promise God makes to Abraham in the book of Genesis depends on faith and rests on grace (v. 16) - the same grace which is bestowed upon all those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. The Scripture shows us that the promise to Abraham is guaranteed to all of Abraham’s offspring through faith in the presence of God - the God who gives life to the dead and brings into existence the things that do not exist. We are Abraham’s offspring because we share in his faith in the one true God. Abraham believed God. He believed all He knew about His creator. He had faith and it was counted to Him as righteousness.
As God promised, in Genesis 17:6, when He said, “I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you,” Abraham’s line was exceedingly fruitful. His line birthed forth the Savior of the world and generations of believers - faithful servants who follow God into the unknown, remembering who He is and what He has promised - and it all depends on faith and rests on grace.
God promised Abraham land, offspring and blessings, but most importantly, He promised to be His God. Through your faith in Jesus Christ, you are the fruit of that very promise. You are Abraham’s offspring. God’s covenant with you - to be your God - to be with you always - has been fulfilled on the cross of Christ. Because of your faith in Christ, God will be with you forever. He is yours and you are His - end of story.
Share Your Heart
Consider the following discussion starters as you share your hearts with one another:
Look back at the Scriptures we read. What promises do you see for yourself as a Christ follower in God’s covenant with Abraham?
Reread Genesis 17:7. God promised to be God to Abraham and his offspring, and He promised that His covenant with Abraham and his offspring would be everlasting. You are Abraham’s offspring. God’s covenant with you - to be your God - to be with you always - has been fulfilled on the cross of Christ. Because of your faith in Christ, God will be with you forever. He is yours and you are His - end of story.
Discuss your thoughts about the difference a simple act of faith makes. Do you receive that blessing? What are your thoughts and feelings about the magnitude of this promise? Encourage one another in the Lord.
Abraham’s deep faith in the God who called him led to his obedience. He trusted God to know what was best for him and his offspring, so much so that he placed Isaac upon the sacrificial altar in obedience to God’s direction.
Sometimes obeying God appears counterproductive in the scheme of everyday life. Discuss with one another those times when you have found it difficult to obey God because of the controversy or negative consequences that could result. Talk through these struggles and encourage one another.
The Cries of Your Heart
At Hearts Together Women, we believe that the Lord hears the cries of our hearts.
We also believe in prayer partnership because God’s Word teaches us that partnering with one another in prayer is powerful.
James 5:16 says, “Therefore…pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
And Jesus encourages us, “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there” (Matthew 18:19-20, The Message).
What amazing promises!
Here is how prayer partnership works at a Hearts Together Gathering:
After we share in the Word and discussion, your facilitator will ask each woman for her prayer requests. All you need to do is share your requests - the cries of your heart - because we all have them.
We encourage you to request prayer for 1) your own needs; 2) the needs of your family and loved ones; and 3) the needs you see around you - in the workplace, the school, the neighborhood or even the nation.
After the requests are shared, your gathering facilitator will lead in a prayer for the needs that were put forth.
In the following days, we encourage you to pray for the requests of the other women in your gathering. They will do the same for you. That’s what prayer partnership is all about!
As we partner with one another in prayer, we trust the Lord will meet with us and answer us in accordance with His perfect will.
Your Heart to His
Maybe you felt the Holy Spirit stirring something in your heart during this gathering. It doesn’t have to end here. Take it home. In the followings days, continue to pursue Him. Spend some time alone and quiet, away from the noise of life - just you and Jesus.
Tell Him the cries of your heart. He is listening; He cares, and He does answer. Praying is kind of like having a conversation with your best friend. He created you, so He already knows everything about you. He just wants to be with you.
After you pray, reread the Scriptures and thoughts under God’s Heart. Reflect upon the verses and how they speak to you and your life.
Here are some things you might contemplate and pray about:
God promised Abraham land, offspring and blessings, but most importantly, He promised to be his God. As Abraham’s offspring, through your faith in Jesus Christ, you are the fruit of that very promise. He is yours and you are His. Within His covenant with Abraham, we see the words, forever and everlasting. Throughout Scripture, the LORD promises to be with His people always. He sends Jesus to die for us in fulfillment of that promise. Reflect upon that today. Pray for the Lord to instill His everlasting promises within your heart. Open your heart to the hope that comes with knowing that He is yours forever.
This is just between you and Jesus - your heart to His. Make space in your busy days to spend some time with Him.
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Do you have a Bible? If not, there are many digital options - Bible apps, etc. We suggest starting with John’s Gospel.
