Sunday, November 15, 2015

Today’s Reading  |  Genesis 12:1–9
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb. (NRSV)

Reflection
What strikes me about this passage is the promise God makes to Abram: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” I will bless you so that you will be a blessing. Not so that you will have an easy life. Not so that you will have power and prestige or riches or a reserved spot in heaven. But so that you will be a blessing.

What does it mean to be a blessing? What does it look like? In this season, giving to charity and to our church comes to mind. We can be a blessing by volunteering our time. But we can also be a blessing by doing something as simple as listening to a friend spill out their sorrow or anger and holding them in prayer. We can be a blessing by smiling at a stranger on the street. We can be a blessing by signing a petition.

Each little blessing builds a better world. Each little blessing makes a bigger blessing possible. Every time you share your blessings you have the opportunity to feel your own blessings grow. So why would you want to hold them tight? A blessing you keep to yourself is never enjoyed as fully as one you share.

So let us share with others the blessings that God has given us, share them in ways large and small; financially and emotionally; today and every day.

Prayer
Dear God, thank you for the blessings I have through you. I promise to share them freely in your name. Amen.

Written by Jean Marie Koon, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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