Elementary Level, Block 2—Noah to Isaac
Week 13
Abraham—Depending on God
Point to Emphasize: We should depend on our parents to make the right decisions.
Reference Reading: Genesis 12:1-8
Memory Verse: But I trust in You, O Jehovah; / I say, You are my God. (Psalm 31:14)
Story Sample
When I was only a little girl, my Dad made a big decision. We were going to move from North Dakota to California. Wow, I didn’t know how to get all the way to California! We would have to leave our family and friends and go to a place we knew nothing about. I had no idea where California was, but I knew it would take many days in the car. So I depended on my Dad to get us there. When we all got loaded in the car, my Dad pulled out a map, and he followed that map until we got to California. [Insert your own story.]
Do you remember how we talked about Abraham last week? God was going to have a new beginning with a new race of people, and the father of these people was Abraham. So He spoke to Abraham and told him He wanted him to go to a new country. And God told him He would bless Abraham if he went. When God told Abraham to leave his old country, He did not give him a map. God did not say, ”Abraham, here is a map for your journey. This map is very clear. If you follow every turn as it is shown, you will arrive in the land I have promised.” God simply told Abraham to leave his country, kinsmen, and father’s house. That means He told him to leave everyone and everything that he knew and trusted.
Why did God do this? God did not give Abraham a map or directions, because He wanted Abraham to depend on Him. God would be the One to direct him, lead him, and guide him.
So Abraham took his wife, his nephew Lot, his possessions and his people, and God led him to a land called Canaan, the land that God had prepared for him.
Do you think his family thought he was crazy to follow God, not knowing where he was going? No, just like Abraham depended on God to lead him, his family depended on Abraham and followed him to this new land.
We should depend on our parents too, shouldn’t we? Sometimes they make decisions, and we just need to trust them. They may decide to follow God to another city or even country, and you may have to move, even though you don’t want to leave your friends and all the things you know and love. But we need to depend on our parents to make the right decision. As they are following God, we need to follow our parents.
Eventually Abraham and all his people arrived in the new land called Canaan. And do you know what Abraham did first? He built an altar to worship God! He wanted to show God how thankful he was for God leading him there.
So this week, let’s see if we can depend on our parents to take care of us in the best way, without asking, “Why?” Let’s just thank them for taking such good care of us. And thank God for giving us such good parents!