Refocused by Promise: Trusting the Process

Second Week of Lent
Text: Genesis 12:1–4a; John 3:1–17

In this second week of Lent, our theme is Refocused. Lent has a way of clearing the clutter and bringing us back to the essentials. This week, through Genesis 12:1–4a and John 3:1–17, we are reminded that God’s promises are real, but they are rarely instant. They are received through trust. They are walked out through obedience.

In Genesis 12, God speaks to Abram with breathtaking clarity: “Go.” Leave your country. Leave your people. Leave your father’s household. And then comes the promise: “I will make you into a great nation… and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” The blessing is magnificent. The call is disruptive.

The order matters.

God does not say, “I will bless you, so stay comfortable.” He says, “Go… and I will bless you.” Abram has to step forward before he sees how the promise unfolds. Verse 4 simply says, “So Abram went.” That simple act of obedience is the doorway to everything that follows.

Then we meet Nicodemus in John 3. He comes to Jesus at night, cautious and curious. Jesus tells him that no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again, born from above. Nicodemus struggles with this. He wants clarity. He wants explanation. He wants a manageable formula. But Jesus speaks of wind and Spirit and trust. You cannot control it. You cannot manufacture it. You must be born into it.

Both passages confront us with the same truth: if we want to see the blessings God promises, it starts with obedience and trust.

I have to confess how often I want the promise without the process. I want the reward without the reshaping. If my doctor tells me that a healthier lifestyle is within reach, I love hearing about the benefits: more energy, better sleep, lower risk, longer life. I want that promise. What I don’t want is the daily trust and obedience that leads there. I do not want to consistently change my eating habits. I do not want to commit to exercise when I am tired. I want the outcome without surrendering to the process. But health does not come from wishing. It comes from trust expressed through habits.

The same is true in our spiritual lives. We want the peace of Christ without forgiving. We want deeper faith without prayer. We want generosity without releasing control of our finances. We want resurrection without dying to self. We want to see the kingdom of God without being born from above.

Lent refocuses us on this simple but challenging truth: God’s promises are sure, but they are received through trust-filled obedience.

“For God so loved the world…” John 3:16 is a promise wrapped in love. Eternal life is not earned. It is given. But stepping into that life requires trust. It requires surrender. It requires a willingness to walk where Jesus leads, even when we cannot see the full map.

Abram did not know where he was going. Nicodemus did not fully understand what being born again meant. But both were invited into deeper trust.

This week, perhaps the question is not, “What has God promised me?” but “Where is God asking me to go?” What habit needs to change? What step needs to be taken? What comfort needs to be left behind? Where is obedience the very doorway to the blessing I long to see?

Refocusing means remembering that God’s promises are not vending machine rewards. They are covenant gifts, discovered along the road of faith.

So Abram went.

May we do the same.

In God’s Grip,

Pastor Chuck Church

A Prayer for Week Two

Faithful God,

In this second week of Lent, you call us again to refocus our hearts. We confess how easily our attention drifts. We cling to what we can control. We rehearse old worries. We trust what we can see instead of the promises you have spoken.

Like Abram, you invite us to go without knowing every detail. Like Nicodemus, you invite us to be born into a future we did not plan. Teach us the courage of trust. Loosen our grip on what is familiar. Quiet the voices that tell us we must secure our own future.

Refocus our eyes on your promises. When the road feels uncertain, remind us that your faithfulness is not. When obedience feels costly, remind us that your grace is abundant. When we are tempted to shrink back, breathe your Spirit into us again.

Shape in us a repentance that is more than regret. Form in us a deep turning toward you. May we step forward this week not with all the answers, but with confidence in the One who calls, leads, and keeps covenant.

We walk by faith because you are trustworthy.
We let go because you are holding us.
We hope because you have promised.

In the name of Christ, who lifts our eyes to God’s future,

Amen.