Genesis 15:1-7 English Standard Version
God’s Covenant with Abram
15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue[a] childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son[b] shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
How much do I trust God?
That question is something God has really been challenging me on recently.
I mean, when you look at the Scripture as a whole, it is one long test of faith and trust after another.
Adam and Eve, don’t eat from this one tree. Do you trust me?
Noah, build a boat the size of a football stadium. Do you trust me?
Abraham, leave your native land and go to the land I will show you. Oh, and I want you to sacrifice your son too. Do you trust me?
Joseph, be a good slave and prisoner and you’ll eventually be a ruler. Do you trust me?
I’m not even out of Genesis yet. Moses, Gideon, Hannah, David, Esther, Daniel, Jeremiah, Mary, Jesus, Paul. Over and over and again. How much do I trust God?
Then last week I was reading in 1 Samuel to prepare for our small group and I read about Samuel telling Eli some horrible news from God about him and his family. Basically, that God was going to wipe them out for their disobedience.
1 Samuel 3:18 So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn’t hold anything back. “It is the LORD’s will,” Eli replied. “Let him do what he thinks best.”
Wow! “Let Him do what He thinks is best.” Now, I don’t know if that was said in apathy or sadness, acceptance, surrender, either way, God is God and I am not!
Psalm 135:6 The LORD does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.
Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.
The reality is just that: God is in heaven and He does as He pleases.
The greatness of God is that He always does what He knows is good. Always!
Not everything that happens is caused by God, but everything God causes is always good!
So, how much do I trust God?
That no matter what He asks me to do. No matter where He asks me to go. No matter what He asks me to sacrifice. No matter what He says is coming my way. Am I willing to say, “It is the LORD’s will. Let him do what he thinks best.”?
How much do I trust God?
How much do you?
I want to trust Him with ALL my heart!
But …
However, …
Despite having great faith, Abraham could still be unsettled by nagging fears and doubts.
That is why, in the opening of Genesis 15, God says to him,
“Do not be afraid. . . . I am your shield, your very great reward.”
Abraham was struggling to believe. God’s promise to make him the father of a great nation was now about ten years old, and he and Sarai did not have a child.
Could you, Would you, Should you, Will you, still trust God?
We all know the pain of promises unfulfilled; they can leave an aching void in our hearts and homes.
Perhaps we follow God’s call and step out in faith.
We risk something for his kingdom, but we don’t see the hoped-for results.
At times like that, it can be hard to keep trusting in God.
Like the psalmist we cry out, “How long, Lord, how long?” (Psalm 6:3).
The good news is that God understands our doubts and fears.
He graciously responds to the prayer that says, “Lord, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.
Help me trust you more—even when I don’t see or understand your ways, even when it seems to be taking so long” (see Mark 9:24).
God explains that his ways are higher than we can imagine (Isaiah 55:9).
And his timing is impeccable—never early, never late.
Trusting in these truths allows us to experience God’s peace and rest.
Contemplate ….
Psalm 13 English Standard Version
How Long, O Lord?
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
13 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Still, “How can I know if this will actually come true … ?”
Genesis 15:8 Expanded Bible
8 But Abram said, “Lord God, how can I · be sure [L know] that I will ·own this land [possess/inherit it]?”
“How can I know … ?”
Whatever age we are, we can all think of a time when we wanted to be sure of something.
We have all wanted someone to repeat a promise they’ve made or to make clear what is still not certain.
Abram asked God to affirm his promises one more time. While our reading today confirms that Abram believed, it’s also clear that he asked for certainty.
Is it all right to ask God to repeat his promises, or make clear what seems cloudy?
We may not immediately receive an answer from the Lord, but one thing we can be sure of is that God understands we are like young inquisitive children on a long bus journey to the zoo, who will inevitably ask, “Mom, are we there yet?”
God shows his patience with Abram, and we can be sure God is patient with us.
What is the source of certainty, the key to the promise?
In this conversation, God not only repeats his promise to Abram but also makes clear that in this covenant arrangement the key is our own trust in God himself.
Instead of asking Abram to walk between the halves of the animals, God moves through them as pictured by a smoking firepot and a blazing torch.
God explains Abram’s descendants will be enslaved and mistreated for a time but that they will also prosper and will eventually have all the land Abram could see around him. And God would be with them always–ever faithful, ever sure.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Praying ….
Psalm 16 Expanded Bible
The Lord Takes Care of His People
A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David.
16 ·Protect [Guard] me, God,
because I ·trust [take refuge] in you.
2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord.
·Every good thing I have comes from you [I have no good apart from you].”
3 As for the ·godly people [holy ones; saints] in the ·world [or land],
they are the ·wonderful [noble] ones I ·enjoy [take pleasure in].
4 But those who ·turn to [run/hurry after] ·idols [other gods]
·will have much [multiply] pain.
I will not ·offer [pour out offerings of] blood to those idols
or even ·speak [L take on my lips] their names.
5 No, the Lord is ·all I need [L my portion and my cup].
·He takes care of me [L You hold my lot; C a device like the Urim and Thummim whereby God reveals one’s future; Ex. 28:30].
6 ·My share in life has been pleasant [L The boundary lines fall for me in pleasant places];
my ·part [inheritance] has been beautiful.
7 I ·praise [bless] the Lord because he advises me.
Even at night, ·I feel his leading [L my innards instruct me].
8 I keep the Lord before me always.
Because he is ·close by my side [L at my right hand],
I will not be ·hurt [L moved; Acts 2:25].
9 So ·I rejoice and am glad [L my heart exults and my glory/soul/or innards is glad].
Even my body ·has hope [dwells securely; Acts 2:26],
10 because you will not ·leave [abandon] me in ·the grave [or the underworld; L Sheol].
You will not let your ·holy one [saint; loyal one] ·rot [L see the Pit; C the grave; Acts 2:27; 13:35].
11 You will teach me ·how to live a holy [L the path of] life.
·Being with you will fill me with joy [L In your face/presence is the fullness of joy; Acts 2:28];
at your right hand I will find pleasure forever.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 