After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying,
"Do not fear, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great." Genesis 15:1
after these things – these things being: abram leaves his own land and travels to an unknown destination which God will reveal, a famine strikes the new land and he and his family move to egypt where some stuff goes down, abram and lot separate and have their own lands, God promises great things about all he can see, abram rescues lot from the 5 kings war…
after these things God speaks to abram again and reassures him – that He, God will be a shield for this man and that He will provide for him and reward him. this is a great call to trust God, a great call to look for things unseen and to not be dismayed by the circumstances we face.
Abram had just been through battle and the Lord had protected him and he had victory yet his heart’s desire was not yet met. His heart’s desire was for a son. God would have already known this for He knows the desires of our heart. Abram walked so close with God that he knew he could talk with Him as a friend and open his heart to Him and say what I really desire is a son.
God desires us to walk this way with Him too! He desires for us to tell Him our hearts desires. Yes, He knows them already but, I believe, He likes to hear us petition Him for it. When we speak it out loud it builds our faith. Abram’s faith was built up when he petitioned God for a son because God promised him a son. He could then stand on faith that God would give him the desire of his heart.
Are you in need of healing, financial help, a mate, your household to be saved? Then speak with God! Tell Him your hearts desire and then stand in faith.
from youversion note
Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir." Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir." 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." Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:2-6
Abram longed for a child, a descendant of his own. this was the great reward he longed for. and God promised him thus. and abram believed.
When God told Abraham he would have children, he believed it because he knew god is righteous and doesn’t go back on his word or lie. Why are we not believing God to he righteous!? When we doubt, we doubt that God is truthful enough to stand with his promises. youversion note
i love what Romans 4:17-19 says about this promise and abrams faith.
As it is written: I have made you a father of many nations. He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed— the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, So shall your offspring be. Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead— since he was about a hundred years old— and that Sarah’s womb was also dead Romans 4:17-19
Abram believed that even though circumstance looked impossible that nothing is impossible for God. that if HE spoke it and promised it that HE was ABLE to perform it and complete it.
there was quite a space of time between the promise and the fulfilment for abram and sarai. during this time they were tested and in a way, they gave up faith and tried to shortcut God. that challenges me to remember the promise – to remember what God has said – and to trust in that and to trust that though i dont know the HOW that God is powerful and great and good and that He is ABLE to fulfil His promises.
i always take great hope and encouragement that though i may not understand the times or the seasons or the HOW something will work out, that God is GOD and that God is GOOD and that God is GREAT and that He is my heavenly Father, the creator of the universe, who knows how many hairs i have on my head and who rewards those who diligently seek Him. i take great hope as i read about abram and sarai and how God worked in their lives and through their lives. their life and their story teaches me to hold on and have faith.
what promises are you believing in and waiting to see God outwork? have faith. keep trusting.
Sometimes all we need to do is come out of the box that we live in, [tent] and look up to God [sky/stars], and trust in God. youversion note
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