The Un-Series: Week 2 Day 2

Genesis 15:1-6

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.
    I am your shield,
    your very great reward.”

2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

I think that what we read today is so great that it is difficult and unfair to have to fit it into one devotion. It’s like only writing about one ship in the South Pacific during WWII.  I will cover what we can, but feel free to dig deeper on your own; and if I had to choose a ship from WWII, it would be The O’Bannon.

Abram was clearly just a normal guy who wanted the best for his life. God told Abram he would be his shield and reward, causing Abram to be honest and good, but what was the point? All of those blessings that Abram received were going to die with him, because he was without children. God then took Abram outside and had him look at the stars. Abram saw the innumerable heavenly watchers and knew God’s promises were impossibly vast and would need a thousand generations to be fulfilled; God’s promise literally filled the sky. The last sentence of this text is critical, it says that Abram BELIEVED the Lord (Genesis 15:6). What does belief matter in the end? What if Adam and Eve had believed the Lord’s Word and not eaten from the forbidden tree? Belief matters! 

You and I are blessed by the belief of this one ancient man. Are you facing something that is testing your belief? Maybe there is something that is causing you to feel overextended, tired, and your problems seem bigger than you. Go outside on a clear night and look up, see the vast sky filled, and remember that at one point Abram did that too, and one of those stars represented you! You are part of God’s fulfillment to Abram, and God will carry you through!

Do you believe it?