1After these events, the Lord’s word came to Abram in a vision, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your protector. Your reward will be very great.”
2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you possibly give me, since I still have no children? The head of my household is Eliezer, a man from Damascus.” He continued, “Since you haven’t given me any children, the head of my household will be my heir.”
4 The Lord’s word came immediately to him, “This man will not be your heir. Your heir will definitely be your very own biological child.” 5 Then he brought Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars if you think you can count them.” He continued, “This is how many children you will have.
Reflection
I can’t begin this devotional without giving a big shoutout to my brother Stan. It’s his birthday today. He’s 18 months my junior and the brother I was closest to while growing up. So “Happy Birthday, Stan.”
Back to the devo. I can’t continue without looking at verse 5, realizing that God told Abram his children will be like the stars in the universe.
I think my first response would have been, “God, you are crazy.” But that’s not what Abram said. Abram trusted the Lord, and the Lord credited it to him as righteousness, as told in verse 6 the New International Version. Still, Abram needed proof and the Lord gave it.
Both Abram and Sarai were very old, well past the age of childbearing. And Sarai thought God needed a little help, so she had Hagar, her slave, sleep with Abram. And she conceived. Abram was 86.
It wasn’t until Abram was 99 that God fulfilled his covenant with him. Abram was also given a new name, Abraham.
Has God ever told you to accomplish some unearthly things? Maybe they were so outrageous you thought he was kidding. But the fact is he has done it for us, telling us, that we can be in heaven with Him. Pretty outrageous. Too often I forget and go on living without giving God a thought.
Unlike Abram. I don’t need to look at the stars. I simply need to look at my Bible and see all the countless promises God has made for me and I will know that I can be with him.
by Rick Reed
For Pondering and Prayer
Look to the heavens. Look at your Bible. God has given us many promises. But the greatest one is that we can be with Him for eternity. Think about these things.
Prayer:
God has made us many promises. I need to remember this each day. Not every promise but simply knowing they are out there waiting for me to claim them. Thank you Lord, for all of your promises. Amen.
