A Devotional by Pastor Cesar Castellanos
Today’s Bible Verse
“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and you will be a blessing.’”
Genesis 12:1-2
Walking in the Promise
As a result of the Lord’s vision for this family, Abram and Sarai had to say goodbye to their loved ones and tell them that they were leaving and not coming back. You can imagine how their neighbors and family members would have felt. Astonished at the sudden and unexplainable news, many were probably asking questions like, “Where are they going to live?” It is unlikely that they would have really understood what Abram and Sarai were doing and may have tried to stop them from going. However, Abram was a man of conviction and stuck by what the Lord had told him, firmly answering those questions saying, “Now is the time.” Seeing that Abram’s heart was set upon this, they must have stopped discussing it, and blessed him and his family in leaving.
The entire map of their planned route consisted merely of a small piece of paper, upon which Abram had written the words from God, “… to the land I will show you.” After they departed his wife Sarai turned to him, saying, “So which way are we going?” Abram replied, “Don’t worry, the most important thing was to get out and leave that place. We will camp somewhere and wait for the direction of our real leader.” “Will someone come to help us?” his wife asked. “Of course” He said. “But who?” she queried. “The same One who spoke to me back home,” Abram replied. “Did He say when He was going to call you?” said Sarai. “No, but He never comes late, He is always on time, because we are going to the land where He is going to bless our descendants.” When Sarai heard this she let go of his arm and looking into his eyes, asked in shock, “So I’m going to be a mother?” “Of course, there’s no other way for you to have descendants,” Abram replied. Although Sarai was already sixty-five years old and Abram seventy-five, they felt strong and full of faith because of the promise that the Lord had given them. They knew their God and were determined not to go back. They stayed true to the promise, like an anchor of salvation for their lives
Something to Think About
Our resources were scarce and the provision we had received from church had run out. Four months had passed since I had resigned from my position as Pastor. It was down to the mercy of the Lord sustaining my family and me. One of my cousins told me, “And what are you going to do for a living?” “I am going to live out of the Word of God,” I answered. At that time, no one in my family could understand the seriousness of God’s calling upon my life; they thought it was just a phase I was going through. Everyone was trying to keep us inside the family circle. Even so, I did not have a clearer direction of where I was going. I was determined to stay still until I heard from God. The answer I had longed for soon came. He spoke to me when I least expected it, saying, “Dream of a big church, because dreams are the language of My Spirit. The Church that you will pastor will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and like the sand on the seashore. It will be a multitude that cannot be counted.” A month after that promise we began the ministry of the International Charismatic Mission Church. During all these years we have seen how the Lord has been faithful to His promise.
Prayer
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your plan to bless and multiply my life. I take hold of Your promises and will walk with them all the days of my life. Thank You for Your infinite love that reaches me, Your grace that saves me and Your power that sets me free.”
Declaration
“God called me and I obeyed. He told me to dream and I dreamed. He promised to multiply my life, and I believe it will happen.”
Today’s Bible Reading
Our Bible Reading Plan gives 25 daily readings per month. There is no scheduled reading for today. You can use this time to catch up on any readings you may have missed, or read through previous passages again.
