ABRAM, THE MAN OF FAITH???
Genesis 15:1-21
In Genesis 12:7 and in Genesis 13:15, God makes a two-fold promise to Abram. First, He would give Abram seed, and secondly, He would give the land of Canaan to Abram and his seed. God promised him a seed and a land for that seed to be planted in. Twice He has confirmed this to Abram, and yet here we are in Genesis 15 with Abram struggling a bit with both aspects of this promise. In Genesis 15:3 he says, “…behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.” Let me paraphrase what Abram is saying, “Lord, you said you would give me a seed but where is it!” Then in Genesis 15:8, he seems to also be struggling with the promise of receiving the land of Canaan, “And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it (land)?” Paraphrasing again…, “Lord, how do I know that you are going to do this?!”
Abram, the man of Faith, doesn’t seem so full of faith. Abram is no different than you and I as we believe and trust in God. We wrestle with doubt and timing and circumstances, so much so that we begin to question God, and we find ourselves needing to be reassured. I think it’s ok to not have to pretend that we are so strong in faith when we are struggling to believe. Abram was honest with God, and the thing that I love about God is that He met Abram right where He was. He ministered to Abram’s doubts. He gave him what his shaky faith needed.
Do you know the God who meets you right where you are? He is a patient God who knows how to take you from where you are to where He has called you to be. There is no reason to pretend with Him. The freedom to be transparent with a God who already sees all is a gift that we should all receive. And when we do, we will find a faith and an intimacy with the Father that others will never experience.
In Genesis 12:7 and in Genesis 13:15, God makes a two-fold promise to Abram. First, He would give Abram seed, and secondly, He would give the land of Canaan to Abram and his seed. God promised him a seed and a land for that seed to be planted in. Twice He has confirmed this to Abram, and yet here we are in Genesis 15 with Abram struggling a bit with both aspects of this promise. In Genesis 15:3 he says, “…behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.” Let me paraphrase what Abram is saying, “Lord, you said you would give me a seed but where is it!” Then in Genesis 15:8, he seems to also be struggling with the promise of receiving the land of Canaan, “And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it (land)?” Paraphrasing again…, “Lord, how do I know that you are going to do this?!”
Abram, the man of Faith, doesn’t seem so full of faith. Abram is no different than you and I as we believe and trust in God. We wrestle with doubt and timing and circumstances, so much so that we begin to question God, and we find ourselves needing to be reassured. I think it’s ok to not have to pretend that we are so strong in faith when we are struggling to believe. Abram was honest with God, and the thing that I love about God is that He met Abram right where He was. He ministered to Abram’s doubts. He gave him what his shaky faith needed.
Do you know the God who meets you right where you are? He is a patient God who knows how to take you from where you are to where He has called you to be. There is no reason to pretend with Him. The freedom to be transparent with a God who already sees all is a gift that we should all receive. And when we do, we will find a faith and an intimacy with the Father that others will never experience.
by Marc Stern
Posted in Read Through the Bible
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