ABRAHAM AND GOD
The LORD said to Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's home, and go to a land that I am going to show you. I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make your name famous, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, But I will curse those who curse you. And through you I will bless all the nations." (Genesis 12:1-3)
Abraham was minding his own business in Haran. And it was a pretty good business as he had livestock and people that he had accumulated.
One day God speaks to Abraham. Abraham seems to know who is speaking and what was said. It was a something that changed his life and changed the course of his life.
God asks Abraham to uproot his family and go to a land that is to be shown to him. To encourage him, God promises Abraham that
Abraham listened and decided that God offered a good deal, uncertain that it was, and he went.
Prayer is listening to what God has said and especially listen to the promises he makes. Prayer is about taking in the big promises of God and believing them. Prayer is about understanding the nature of the God who wants to speak to us.
God is a Blessing God and his blessings are big time. It is more than money for wealth is more than money. It is more than what we need. It is more of all that is good and great about God’s love and life.
But he looks for a person who can handle the big blessings. He looks at the heart and its desire to be obedient to God. Humility and obedience of heart are the prerequisites to contain God’s big blessings.
Consider the ways that God has blessed you over the years. Write down some of them. See if you can reach 20 without repeating any of them. Offer a prayer of thanks to God for His blessings in your life.
After this, Abram had a vision and heard the LORD say to him, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I will shield you from danger and give you a great reward." But Abram answered, "Sovereign LORD, what good will your reward do me, since I have no children? My only heir is Eliezer of Damascus. You have given me no children, and one of my slaves will inherit my property." Then he heard the LORD speaking to him again: "This slave Eliezer will not inherit your property; your own son will be your heir." The LORD took him outside and said, "Look at the sky and try to count the stars; you will have as many descendants as that." (Genesis 15:1-5)
Things have not gone so well for Abraham. He got into trouble with the king of Egypt but was able to increase his wealth. But what he wanted was a son. He separates from Lot on friendly terms. There was not enough room for both on the land that was available.God speaks to Abraham to encourage him. But Abraham complains that he has no son and a servant in his household is going to inherit everything!
God speaks again and gives him a tangible example to help him believe. He asks him to look up and count the stars. So shall your descendants will be.
Every time Abraham looks up and sees the stars he is reminded of what God has said. And Abraham believes God and God recognizes it.
Then God confirms what he has said to Abraham with a spiritual experience that blows Abraham away. It is God’s covenant with Abraham.
God is a God who confirms what he has said with a vision or dream or a spiritual experience that “blows your mind away”.
We have a God who confirms what he has said to you in amazing ways. We need to ask God for confirmation after confirmation so that we might know and believe and continue to believe what God has said.
We are only human and God knows that. We do need promises to be confirmed so that we can hold onto that promise though we have not seen the reality of that promise, yet! We need confirmation so that we can continue to believe.
Seek God for a confirmation of any promise that you have been given. Look back on the ways that God has confirmed His promises and be thankful. Read Genesis 15 and see how God confirmed His promises to Abraham.