Bible in a Year - Women’s Thematic Reading Plan | Day 5 

JANUARY 5 / Day 5

Sarah: Following Abraham Away from Her Country 

📖  Genesis Chapter 12 

A Minute of Grace

In Genesis Chapter 12, God calls Abraham to leave his country, his kindred, and his father’s house, and go to the land He would show him. God gives Abraham a promise: He will make of him a great nation, bless him, make his name great, and through him bless all the families of the earth. So Abraham goes, as the LORD has spoken unto him—and Sarah goes with him.

This was not simply a change of address. It was a turning point in the direction of life. To leave his country meant leaving a familiar environment. To leave his kindred meant stepping away from the circle of natural security. To leave his father’s house meant entering a journey where the old supports could no longer be relied upon in the same way.

From Sarah’s perspective, this chapter reminds us that faith is not only an inward decision; it often reshapes family, relationships, habits, and daily life. Sarah followed Abraham not because she already knew every answer, but because she entered the unknown with him and began to learn obedience in the light of God’s promise.

Today’s theme, “Sarah: Following Abraham Away from Her Country,” invites us to consider this: When God leads us away from what is familiar and into what is unknown, are we willing to trust that His promise is more reliable than the safety we can see? When the road has not yet unfolded before us, are we willing to keep walking in obedience?

Whispers for the Heart

1 When God called Abraham to leave his country, his kindred, and his father’s house, Sarah also had to face the challenge of leaving what was familiar. Is there a “leaving” in your own life right now? Perhaps God is calling you to leave behind an old security, a former habit, the expectations of others, or a way of relying on yourself.

2 Abraham went out without seeing the whole road ahead. Are you walking through uncertainty today—changes in your family, work, ministry, children’s growth, future plans, or a season of waiting? What fear rises most strongly in your heart when you cannot see the next step clearly?

3 God’s promise came first, and human obedience unfolded along the way. Are you willing to respond to what God has clearly shown you today, even before you see the full result? Is God inviting you to loosen your grip on your own plans and trust His timing and His way?

As you read Genesis Chapter 12 today, do not only notice how Abraham responded to God. Also consider Sarah, who left, traveled, and faced the unknown with him. Her story reminds us that faith often grows on the road, not before the journey begins.

Take a quiet moment before you read. Bring your anxiety about the future, your fear of change, and your desire for control before the Lord. Ask Him to strengthen your heart through His Word today.

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🪕 Response Hymn: Jehovah Jireh 

Genesis 12 ( KJV)

12 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.

8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.

9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.

11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.

15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

17 And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.

18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?

19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

🪕 Response Hymn: Jehovah Jireh 

💡 Closing Thought · Following God into the Unknown 

As we finish Genesis Chapter 12, we are reminded that the journey of faith does not always begin with a clear map. It begins with the trustworthy Word of God. Sarah followed Abraham away from country, kindred, and father’s house, stepping onto a road filled with uncertainty. Her story reminds us that obedience does not mean we feel no fear, and faith does not mean we already know every answer. Often, faith means trusting the God who calls us, even when we cannot yet see the whole path.

As you close this page and return to your own life, you may be facing a new season, a new responsibility, a new relationship, or a waiting place with no clear outcome yet. Remember: God is not only waiting for you at the destination. He is with you on the road. When uncertainty makes your heart anxious, pause and remind yourself, “I do not need to see the whole path today. I only need to faithfully follow the step God gives me today.”

May today’s Scripture encourage your heart: leaving what is familiar does not mean losing your foundation, and entering the unknown does not mean walking alone. The God who called Abraham is still leading every daughter who is willing to trust Him. May you learn obedience in uncertainty, and may you experience His faithfulness as you follow.

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