Old Testament passage for Sunday, January 6, 2013: Genesis 13:5-15:21
5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:5-6 (NASB)
There is an innate desire in every human being that their children, their heirs, their progeny be blessed. We naturally desire to see our children make the world a better place. We want those who follow us to do well. This is most clearly seen in the parent-child relationship, but also among those who do not have natural children, we desire to our spiritual children excel.
God gave an incredible promise to Abraham. He was told that he would have thousands of descendants. Each of these would be like a star in the sky. That had to be a very dramatic moment in Abraham's experience. He had NO CHILDREN. He was frustrated and defeated. Now he was being told by God that not only would he have heirs, but that they would be incredibly numerous and magnificently beautiful.
By natural capabilities, Abraham had reason to doubt. He was not getting any younger. He could easily have faced the obvious, but instead he faced the promise. He believed!
When Abraham believed God, he released God's power in his behalf. God has great promises for you and me. He asks only that we BELIEVE.
Each of those stars that Abraham saw that night was like seed. Though incredibly numerous, they
were each individual universes of creative possibilities. When we trust God, He not only adds benefit to us personally, He flings out a panoply of blessings emanating out from us to light the way for
all around.
Stars shine most brightly when the night is darkest. No matter how dark your night, God can cause His light to shine through you. By faith, we move into a future yet unseen. We are sons of Abraham.
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