READING: Genesis 14-16
“And he believed the LORD.”
Genesis 15:6
Faith means believing God even when you wonder how He is going to keep His word—and even the strongest believers sometimes struggle with trusting Him as unwaveringly as we should. What we say with our lips isn’t always what we feel in our heart.
Abraham’s story helps us with this struggle. He knew God’s promise of an heir, but he had not yet received one. Thus, he contemplated designating his servant Eliezer as his heir. God’s answer to Abraham was to wait, as He still intended to keep His promise: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir” (Gen. 15:4). Even as Abraham and Sarah continued to deal with childlessness, God still had a plan; in fact, Abraham’s offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.
Abraham’s response—and God’s assessment of it—were so significant that the text describing it is quoted multiple times in the New Testament: “And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” (Gen. 15:6, Rom. 4: 3, 22; Gal. 3: 6; James 2: 23). Abraham trusted his future to the Lord, understanding that following God’s direction would be wiser than following his own plan (though he himself would also succumb to another plan in Genesis 16). God thus counted Abraham’s response as righteousness, not because of Abraham’s specific actions but because of his trusting faith.
The bottom line is this: it is right to take God at His word. When we remain convinced that God will always, always, keep His word, everything in our Christian walk changes.
ACTION STEPS:
- Identify where you most struggle taking God at His word. Confess that struggle to God.
- Do a quick search for promises of God in the Bible, and hear His Word today.
PRAYER: “God, help me to believe all that You teach in Your Word, without exception.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Genesis 17-19
