Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“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. ”
NL Daily Devotion for Thursday, September 12, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Blessed to be a blessing. This is not a gift, but a covenant. A calling. God will give Abram children and grandchildren and descendants who will become a culture and society that persists to this very day. I remember singing the song “Father Abraham” and learning all about how I’m one of his “sons” and it was cool. But Abram had a part to play, too. If he was to be “blessed”—cared for by God in all ways—then he had to turn around and bless others. That means that we, who are still part of this covenant (yes, I know there have been a bunch of them since then, but that doesn’t necessarily make previous covenants null and void), are called to be a blessing to the world. That means, in its simplest terms, loving God, our neighbors, and ourselves. Or doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God. We ought not be concerned about being “a great nation” or having “a great name.” That’s not our part of this deal. We ought only be concerned about love and service and leave the rest to God.
What does it mean to me that I am to be a blessing to the world?
