📖 From the Bible
God said to Abram: “Leave the country where you live. Leave your family and your dad’s house. Go to the land I will show you.”
God promised: “I will make you into a great nation. I want life to go well for you. Everyone will hear about you. I will be on your side. Through you, I will show kindness to people all over the earth.”
Abram listened to God and set out. His nephew Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old then.
Abram took his wife Sarai, Lot, and everything they had. They left the city of Haran and came to the land of Canaan.
Abram’s dad, Terah, had once set out with his family for the land of Canaan. They stopped in the city of Haran, and Terah died there.
1Now the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. 2I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who treats you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” 4So Abram went, as the LORD had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had gathered, (…) and they went to go into the land of Canaan. They entered into the land of Canaan.
This is how we tell this passage to kids. The exact words of the Bible are under “As it is in the Bible”.
The sign (…) marks a place where we left something out. The sentence in italics is ours. We never change the words of the Bible.
Genesis 12:1-5 · Scripture: World English Bible Updated (public domain)
Your aunt asks you at a family dinner, “So, what are you going to be when you grow up?” Everybody at the table looks at you. You could say anything, like “an astronaut.” Or you could admit you really don’t know. Because who does, at your age? Some kids do. But most don’t! In the Bible there’s a guy named Abram, and he didn’t have a clue, either, about what God had planned for him.
Abram lived with his family in a faraway city. One day his dad, Terah, said, “We’re moving to a land called Canaan.” The whole family set out. On the way they stopped in a city called Haran, and they settled down there. Terah never went any farther. He died in that city. The trip had stopped, and Canaan was still far away.
Then God spoke to Abram. He told him to leave his country and go “to the land that I will show you.” We don’t know exactly how that looked. The Bible doesn’t say. God promised Abram something special: “I will make of you a great nation.” God wanted life to go well for Abram. And one more thing: through Abram, God would show kindness to people all over the earth. Abram was seventy-five years old by then. He packed up anyway and set out. He took his wife, his nephew Lot, and everything they owned. That was a really brave decision.
Where do you think Abram went? Probably you’re thinking, somewhere totally unknown. But not exactly! He went to Canaan. The same land his dad had been heading for. So Abram didn’t set off blindly. He took the next step on a road his family had already started. God showed him the rest along the way.
Have you ever heard the navigation in a car? It doesn’t tell you everything at once. It just says, “Turn right at the next corner.” You only hear the next direction once you’ve driven a bit farther. It’s kind of like that with God. You don’t need to know the whole plan. Just take the nearest step.
Did you know?
At first, the Bible had no chapter numbers or verse numbers. Somebody added them much later, so it would be easier to find things. And sometimes a number lands right in the middle of a story! That’s what happened here. Abram’s story starts a few sentences before chapter twelve. There it says his dad had already set out. It’s a bit like in a movie: to understand a scene, you need to know what came before.
Look at Jesus
God promised Abram that through him, He would show kindness to people all over the earth. Many years later, Jesus was born in Abram’s family. Abram was His great-great-great-grandpa. And a lot more “greats” than that! Jesus is how that promise comes true. Jesus is for people in every country. Including you.
What about you?
Don’t know yet what you like doing most? Or what you’re really good at? That’s normal. You don’t need a plan for your whole life. Do the nearest thing you’ve got. Sign up for a club or class that sounds interesting. Draw something, build something, bake something or write something. You could even say at home, “I’d like to try playing the guitar. Can you help me?” Ideas for the next steps often show up only once we’re moving, when we’re already trying something.
Let’s talk about it
- What do you love doing so much that you don’t notice the time going by?
- Remember the story: where did Abram go, and how did he know which way to walk?
- What do you want to try today, even if you’re not sure you’ll be good at it? Or can you think of something else?
Today’s challenge
Pick one thing you want to try. Take its first step today. Ask someone who knows how. Watch how it’s done. Or just try it for ten minutes.
Prayer
God, I don’t know yet what I’ll be. But I want to walk with You. Help me take one good step today, and trust that You’ll show me the next one. Amen.
Tap when you have prayed.