Faith Says Yes to God
Month 2: The God Who Keeps Promises · Heart Matters
Today's Scripture
Read together: Genesis 12:4 & Hebrews 11:8
4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. — Genesis 12:4
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going. — Hebrews 11:8
Memory Verse
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”— Genesis 12:2 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Exodus 13–15
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 34 of 365 — Israel walks through the sea on faith.)The Heart of It
Yesterday we saw that God's promises are trustworthy. Today we look at what trust does. says simply, "So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him." The book of Hebrews looks back on that moment and explains the secret of his heart: "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going" (). That's what faith is. It's not a feeling of certainty in our heads. It's a yes in our hearts that trusts God enough to move. Abram couldn't see the land. He couldn't see the future. He couldn't see how any of it would work. But he could trust the One who promised. And so he said yes with his feet.
Here's the part that matters most for our hearts. Abram's obedience didn't earn God's love. It flowed from it. God came to him first, in grace, with a promise. Abram's "yes" was simply how he received it. That's the rhythm of the whole Christian life. We don't obey to get God to love us. We obey because we're already loved, and we trust the One who has proven faithful. Real faith always has legs. It doesn't just nod along. It gets up and goes where God says, even when the path is unclear.
Around the Table
Faith means trusting God enough to say "Yes!" even when we don't know everything.
Let's do it: Practice a big, happy "Yes, God!" with your arms raised high.
Abram obeyed before he understood the plan. His feet showed what his heart believed.
Let's talk: What's one thing God asks us to do that's hard to say "yes" to sometimes?
Faith and obedience belong together. "Faith without works is dead." Yet our works never earn God's love ().
Let's go deeper: How can you tell the difference between obeying to earn love and obeying because you're loved?
💬 Conversation Starter
When is it hardest for you to say "yes" right away — and easiest? What makes the difference?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Isn't "faith" just believing without any reasons? No. Faith in the Bible is trust based on evidence. Abram had heard God and seen His character. We have an even fuller record than he did. Faith is built on reasons, and then it steps forward ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
This is the day to guard the gospel's order in your home: grace first, then obedience. Many sincere Christian families accidentally flip it. They raise children who believe God's approval is something they earn by being good. That breeds either pride or despair. Abram is the antidote. God promised first, and freely. And Abram's obedience was the glad response of a man who knew he was chosen. When you correct your kids, anchor it there. Tell them, "You belong to this family no matter what. Now let's walk in a way that fits who you are." Obedience that flows from secure love is sturdy. Obedience that's trying to buy love always cracks.
Draws on: Paul Tripp, Parenting.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for loving us first. Grow a faith in our family that says 'yes' to You with our whole hearts. We don't say yes to earn Your love. We say yes because we already have it. In Jesus' name, amen."
Faith isn't just believing. It's saying "yes, God" with my feet because I trust Him.