God called Abram to a land he did not know and promised him that the land—as far as he could see in all directions—would one day belong to his family. This land would eventually become known as the “Promised Land.” There was a problem.
Abram Had Faith in God, a Daily Devotional by Brian Hardin
Genesis 13:5–15:21; Matthew 5:27-48; Psalm 6:1-10; Proverbs 1:29-33
WE GOT a brief introduction to a man named Abram, . Eventually, his name will become Abraham, and the reverberations of his life echo until today—for it is through him that the faith we freely enjoy finds an anchor.
God called Abram to a land he did not know and promised him that the land—as far as he could see in all directions—would one day belong to his family.
This land would eventually become known as the “Promised Land.” There was a problem, though: Abram was getting old and had no children to inherit the land, regardless of the promise. God invited him outside and, against the backdrop of an immense sky of stars, told him:
Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have! Genesis 15:5
Abram had faith in God at that moment, and God considered him righteous because of it (Genesis 15:6). Abraham’s faith is going to become very, very impor- tant when we begin to explore Christian doctrine through the eyes of the apostle Paul.
The next time you have a moment of uncertainty regarding your faith, go out- side and look at the stars. Remember that God is faithful to those who trust Him. In the Proverbs today, the voice of Wisdom shows us the alternative to trusting God:
“They hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes”. Proverbs 1:29-31
We have a choice in this. We can fall into the overwhelming grace of a loving God by doing nothing more than trusting and intimately walking with Him, or we can choke on our own schemes. This is always the choice before us, but it’s not because God is pompous or tyrannical. It’s because this is how we were made—to know and be known by God.
PRAYER:
Return, O Lord, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love. PSALM 6:4