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.”
A big move
December 5
Read: A selection from Genesis 12:1-7
Listen:
Abraham and Sarah packed up all their things. They said goodbye to their friends. They visited their favorite restaurant one more time. They took one last walk through their neighborhood. And then they loaded everything up and moved far, far away because God asked them to.
God told them that if they moved to this new place, God would use them to show his love to a lot more people. Abraham and Sarah were nervous about moving to a new place, but they were excited that God was going to use them to show his love.
Jesus also knows those feelings. He knows what it’s like to leave behind things that are familiar and go someplace new.
Before Jesus came to earth as a little baby, he lived in heaven with God. It’s very comfortable there—never too cold, never too hot. You always feel full of joy, and you’re never grumpy. But Jesus knew that if he came to earth, he could show God’s love to a lot more people. Because Jesus left that comfortable place, he gave us the chance to know God’s love.
Wonder:
What does it feel like to go somewhere new? Why was Jesus willing to leave heaven to show God’s love to us?
Pray:
Jesus, thank you so much for coming to earth so we can be loved by God. Will you help me do hard things sometimes so other people can know your love, too? Amen.
This devotion is part of
The Jesse Tree Story:
A Family Advent Devotional
Each devotion in this family Advent devotional invites you into the story of someone on Jesus’s family tree. These devotions will show young children how God was preparing for Jesus to be born across many generations. Each story pairs with a symbol you can hang on your own Jesse Tree.
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