Look Up Child

Genesis 15:5 (NIV)

‘(God) took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’

This story never ceases to amaze me: a man called Abram was living on his father’s estate, Harran, when he heard the call of God to leave everything he was familiar with behind and follow God into a great unknown. When Abram finally arrived in the land of Canaan, the Lord said to him, ‘To your offspring I will give this land. I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you! All the people on earth will be blessed through you.’

So far so good. Sounds brilliant. The problem was that Abram and his wife, Sarai, had no children and were around a hundred years old at this point. How Abram’s heart must have ached to hear God say those things. Can you sense Abram’s pain as he asked, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless? You have given me no children; a servant in my household will inherit my estate.” But the Lord invited Abram outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them… So shall your offspring be.’ 

‘Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.’ v.6

God hasn’t changed a bit since. He’s still in the habit of lavishing us with generous blessings and exciting promises. But an exciting promise can also be a challenging one to hold on to. Personally, I have seen God’s faithfulness and tasted of his goodness so many times. Yet, if I am honest, there are some promises that I find easier to throw my hands up in the air and shelve them away in the box that’s got ‘impossible’ written on top. I take comfort in Abram’s story because it’s a reminder that ‘mission impossible’ is God’s speciality! The Bible is full of examples that testify of God truly being a ‘way-maker, miracle-worker, promise-keeper, light in the darkness’.

Prayer – Lord, thank you for the great plans you have us. Help us to claim the promises you have spoken over us. We declare today that ALL things are possible with you!