trust

my car knows best?

Posted on by Grace Day

Maybe you recall from some previous posts that I am dealing with a new car after twelve years of being comfortable with my previous car. Now I bought the exact same kind of car, but even so, apparently a lot changes in twelve years. My new car is very bossy. It seems to think it knows better than I do and consequently it does a lot of things without consulting me first. It bothers me that my car seems to think it knows best, rather than allowing me to be the one calling the shots. A battle is definitely brewing between my car and myself. It is a battle to decide who’s in charge.

I guess it’s not all negative however. For instance, when I get into my car, my seat automatically adjusts to a position that I have previously chosen and “set” with the controls. When I open my door to get out of the car, my seat automatically slides back, giving me more room to get out, I guess making my exit from the car easier. It’s a nice gesture on my car’s part. I guess I can live with that.

Then there’s the lights. My car is in charge of them. I used to be the one turning them on and off manually. Not so anymore. My car decides when the lights come on and go off. And my car does this with the “brights” also. My car turns them on when she deems it necessary and turns them off when she decides it is appropriate to do so. I have to admit though, my car seems to get this right. When there is oncoming traffic, she turns the brights off in plenty of time, so as not to “blind” the drivers in the approaching cars. She does a better job than I would do actually, because sometimes I forget to turn off my brights and I definitely don’t like it when approaching drivers fail to turn their brights off. I guess they don’t have a car that makes those critical decisions for them?

Then there’s the radio. Now sometimes I am listening to a favorite song or an interesting discussion or some news and I arrive at my destination but I want to continue listening for a few more seconds or minutes. In the past, I would turn off my engine to save gas but continue sitting in my car listening to the radio. I can’t do that anymore. When I turn off the engine, my car turns off the radio. So if I want to continue listening to the radio, I have to keep my car running even though I am sitting in a parking space or in my garage. Doesn’t my car realize that I want to save gas AND continue to listen to my radio program at the same time? Previously, the two were not mutually exclusive. Why should I have to choose one over the other now? My car refuses to negotiate on this point.

Then there’s the seat heater. My old car had this feature and I loved it. I could have it “off” or on “low” or on “high.” I was in charge of this decision. Now my new car decides if it is cold enough for the seat heater to turn on or not. I can see by the lights on the button on the dash for this feature if it is off, or if it has one, two or three lights on. Because it has been very cold this past month, I usually see three lights lit on the seat heater control when I first start out. But soon it has been turned off. Now if I were in charge of this decision, the seat heater would still be on. I like being warm. But my car has decided that my seat is warm enough and has made the decision for me to turn it off. I guess my car thinks it knows best. But I disagree. I really want to be the one in charge.

I have mentioned my car’s bad behavior in the carwash in a previous post. My car also does this when I pull into the garage. She beeps frantically, panicking because she erroneously believes I am going to hit what’s in front of me. But if I stop before her beeping starts, I am not far enough into my garage to allow the garage door to close behind us. My car does not understand this and no amount of reasoning on my part can change her mind. (if she has one, which she doesn’t – she has only preprogramed instructions better known as A.I.)

My car is also a bit of a hypocrite. She won’t let me play the radio once the engine is off, but she leaves the lights on after the engine is off and even after I get out of the car, her lights are still on, even as I walk away from her. I have a confession – I always stop a short distance away and watch, waiting to be sure she turns off her lights. She does, but what if she forgets? Leaving car lights on is what drains your battery and then your car won’t start. I once had that happen with the interior ceiling light of my old car. I turned it on to search for something, then shut the car and walked away. When I returned, the battery was dead.

Another thing my car does is turn herself off when I am stopped in traffic. She restarts automatically when I take my foot off the brake. I guess this is good because it should save gas, thereby saving me money, and that is always a good thing. Although I have noticed that sometimes my car restarts when I am still stopped in traffic. I don’t know why. Did she just decide on her own that she had been idle too long? Who knows? I thought that was my decision to make – when to take my foot off the brake and activate my engine, but I guess not? Ultimately, my car is making that decision for me.

And so I am participating in this battle of the wills with my car. Who is really in charge here? Much of the time, I feel like it is my car who is making the decisions. She won’t even start if I don’t have my foot on the brake. I feel like this is unnecessary. My old car would start without that as long as it was in “park.” In fact, with really older cars, we used to start them with one foot on the gas to rev the engine, to get it going if it was having trouble starting. (of course the car was in “park”)

My car will beep alarmingly if there are cars passing to the right or to the left of me. She beeps when I pull in or out of parking spaces if she thinks I am getting too close. (sometimes that is the only way into or out of a parking space – you cut it close, but you make it – you have a visual of the situation)

I guess my car is just looking out for me. She is trying to protect me from harm with all the warning beeping going on and with the working of my headlights for me. She tries to save me gas, and she turns off her own lights and locks herself up as I walk away. I had to turn off the lights and lock my old car myself. I kind of liked being in charge of those things. Although, I guess if I forgot to do those things I would end up with a dead battery or a stolen car or the contents of my car taken. So maybe my new car does have my back. Although she does lock herself up before I am done unloading the groceries and this is annoying.

Still, I have to ask myself if my relationship with my car mirrors in some aspects the relationship that I have with my Heavenly Father. Is it a constant battle for who will be in charge? Do I question whether my Creator knows best? I certainly question whether or not my car knows best. I feel like my A.I. driven car (pun intended) has an agenda and I’m not really sure what it is or if I can trust it.

My Heavenly Father definitely has an agenda for me, an agenda He does not hide from me, an agenda I can trust because I can trust Him. He’s pretty upfront about His plans for me and His intentions towards me. In Jeremiah and Isaiah respectively, I read –

” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!” (Isaiah 30:18)

Jesus told His disciples –

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

Psalm 121 also makes clear to me that my Heavenly Father does have my back and (unlike my car) does know best –

“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:2-8)

” . . . in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3)

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” (Isaiah 46:9-10)

God knows best – my car? not so much . . .

sincerely, Grace Day

paralyzed by the whys

Posted on by Grace Day

I don’t know about you, but I want things in my life and in this world to make sense, to be predictable, to be foreseeable, to be understandable, to be controllable. I guess I want to feel that I have some power over the events that surround and affect me on a daily basis. I can even be lulled into temporary complacency, thinking I will always have tomorrow to do or to take care of whatever it is that I am putting off doing at the moment. And then the unexpected evil strikes and I am reminded that I should be redeeming the time.

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)

It certainly does seem as though these days are filled with evil events that surprise us and shock us out of any complacency that might have characterized our days. I find myself feeling overwhelmed, discouraged and defeated when such evil acts occur. I often feel paralyzed, wondering what I can do, if anything, that will make a difference against such seemingly overwhelming evil. Then I remember these words from Paul’s letter to the church in Rome –

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

Ok, I am to be doing good in this world. But what does that “good” look like? Well, as it turns out, in Romans I find some pretty good (pun intended) suggestions of good things I can do, suggestions on how I can live my life in a way that just might make a difference for good, that just might make this world more like the place I wish that it were and desperately want it to be. These are the directions –

“Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. . . . Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. . . . Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. . . . Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. . . . On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” (Romans 12:9-20)

These words are good advice but a constant challenge for me to actually live out. However, when I do follow God’s leading and obey His commands, through the power of His Holy Spirit, I discover that I am able to make a difference for good in this world. I need not be paralyzed with fear and despair when horrible things happen, things that break my heart and cause me to question who is winning this war – good or evil? I don’t have to remain paralyzed. God calls me to action – the action of loving Him and of loving my neighbor. Action is the antidote to paralysis just as love is the antidote to hate and peace the antidote to violence.

It is all too easy for me to become burdened with the “whys” when terrible things happen – BUT these words of Jesus give me hope –

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

I don’t have to lose hope when circumstances seem to suggest that evil is winning the day. After all, God allowed Joseph to be sold by his own brothers into slavery in Egypt. Looked like a win for evil. BUT – There Joseph worked his way up into a pretty sweet gig, being in charge of Potiphar’s household. That didn’t last however, and Joseph ended up in prison after being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife. BUT – in prison Joseph found favor and made friends with Pharoah’s cupbearer. This lead to Joseph eventually becoming Pharoah’s second in command. Why did God let the bad things happen to Joseph? Joseph himself answered this question when he said this to his brothers –

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20)

In this case it was the literal saving of the physical lives of Abraham’s descendants, Jacob and his sons and their children. There was a famine in their land so they traveled to Egypt to get food to sustain them. Egypt had plentiful stores of grain because of Joseph’s wise leadership, so Joseph was able to offer them lifesaving rations. But Joseph did better than that, he invited them to come to Egypt to live, all of them and their flocks and herds of animals which would otherwise have died during the famine. The saving of many lives was accomplished.

Today, God is still bringing good out of evil events. Evil never has the last word. In John, I read these words of Jesus –

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24)

How true. The buried seed becomes a plant or a tree which grows and produces a thousand- fold more seeds, which will in their turn be buried, allowing them to produce an even greater crop of plants and trees and exponentially more seeds. Today, even as I grieve, I will not be paralyzed by the “whys.” Instead, I will trust in the goodness of my Sovereign Heavenly Father and His eternally good plan for His beloved, those He created in His very own image – us – you and me, dear readers – we are His and He has good plans for each one of us.

” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11)

If only you and I would choose His way instead of our own ways. When I choose to trust my Sovereign Creator God, I am no longer paralyzed by the “whys” of evil events or by the fear and despair that can result from evil acts apart from the grace, forgiveness and hope that are found in God’s ways. Today, and every day, I choose to trust in God, even in the face of evil.

” ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.’ ” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

sincerely, Grace Day

walking into the New Year

Posted on by Grace Day

that’s right, I said walking, not running or sprinting BUT neither did I say crawling or limping into the New Year – even if some of us may feel today as if that is how we are entering into this New Year, perhaps weak and wounded, going at a slower pace than we would like – perhaps entering into this new year from a position of perceived defeat rather than victory –

Nevertheless, the new year is here and I just walked into it, literally – that is to say, I just took my first walk of the New Year. Ironically, I took this walk not somewhere new, but in an old, familiar place, but one that I have not walked at all in the last several years. The route or path was full of memories even though this time of year it looks very different from what I remember. That’s because I used to walk this place in summer or fall, when it is in full bloom with wildflowers, community gardens, all kinds of wildlife and plenty of other walkers.

Today is bitingly cold and windy, the landscape brown and barren, except for some cattails and other tall brown grasses. Still, I find beauty in the stark barrenness of the landscape and of the trees, and I take comfort in knowing that the time is coming when this same landscape will again be full of color and life.

This is the same place I remember, just in a different season. I walk alone, remembering all the times I walked this path with a friend as we shared and prayed our way along the route until we would arrive back where we started. Actually though, today I was not alone. My Heavenly Father was walking with me, as He always does. I’m just more aware of His Presence when I’m by myself.

I am reminded that God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden “in the cool of the day.” God has been walking with His people from the very beginning and He’s still doing it today. God told Abraham –

“Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1)

God would be going with Abraham to show him the way. I feel like God does that for me every day. He doesn’t send me off alone – He walks with me to guide me, to direct, inform and teach me along the way. This is a good thing because I am directionally challenged. I can so easily lose my way and my focus and my purpose as I walk out my life’s journey. But I have the promise of His Presence even when I lose my way or get off course –

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your Presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:7-10)

I especially like the promise that my Heavenly Father’s “right hand will hold me fast.” This knowledge, this truth, gives me both comfort and courage as I walk forward into this new year. I welcome both, as it is the comfort of His Presence that gives me the courage I need to face the uncertainties and the inevitable challenges this new year will surely bring to me. With my Heavenly Father’s hand holding me fast, I am able to walk into this new year with grit, grace and gratitude – knowing I do not walk alone.

That doesn’t mean my walking is always graceful or that my walking conditions are always ideal – far from it. Very few moments do I find myself “walking on water” like Peter. I love those dramatic moments when my faith overpowers my fear and I step out in obedience. I step out of my boat like Peter did, leaving behind what I trusted in, instead walking toward Jesus across a stormy sea, trusting only in Him. I have eyes only for Jesus – I am walking on water – until I notice the storm surrounding me and I began to sink like Peter did. BUT – as with Peter, it is in that very moment God’s hand holds me fast and rescues me.

“But when he (Peter) saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him.” (Matthew 14:30-31)

My walking will not always be in pleasant places during this coming year. BUT – God’s Presence walking with me will make all the difference. Like King David, I will probably walk through many valleys in 2025, and some will be dark valleys, like David’s valley of the shadow of death. However, look how David describes his experience of walking with God –

“He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:3-5)

Even when I am walking this world’s darkest valleys, I don’t have to be afraid! (“I will fear no evil”) I have the comfort of God’s Presence. And even while I am walking my valleys, my cup overflows! God sees to that. Will I be walking in any more difficult places than valleys surrounded by my enemies? Well, I imagine I’ll face a few fiery trials, aka. furnaces again this year. Remember Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.”

However, I recall the furnace experience of Daniel’s three friends and I am encouraged. Remember they were bound up and thrown into a furnace heated seven times hotter than normal to assure their destruction. But when King Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace, he got a surprise –

” ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, O king.’ He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’ ” (Daniel 3:24-25)

A furnace is not a place I would choose to take a walk, but the three men were “unbound and unharmed – walking around in the fire” – because God was there with them, the fourth One in the fire. As long as I’m walking with God, I can walk with courage. Although, climbing mountains does seem a bit daunting, to put it mildly. Not so with God.

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:19)

Walking on water, walking through dark, dangerous valleys, walking in fiery furnaces or walking up steep mountains – I never know where walking with God will take me, but I do know He will be with me every step of the way – and that is enough, more than enough actually. I have these marching (walking) orders for 2025 –

“And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Sometimes I walk with friends, sometimes by myself – but never alone. God’s right hand always holds me fast. That’s His promise. When I fear that I am losing my way, I am reminded that –

“I am to walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

My life is a walk of faith from start to finish. Currently I am continuing on said walkabout knowing this to be true –

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

walking with you, dear readers, into God’s new year – today I walked not on water, but into the wind and the cold – tomorrow? who knows? (well, actually God knows) I have the promise of His Presence, the assurance that I will walk without fainting, the knowledge that God will direct the paths that I walk – that’s enough for today – enough for me to put one foot in front of the other – I don’t need to see the end – I walk by faith today, tomorrow and every day. To that end I will –

“Trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding; in all my ways I will acknowledge Him, and He will direct my paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

sincerely, Grace Day

every breath a prayer

Posted on by Grace Day

“Pray without ceasing” – “pray continually” – “never stop praying” – these are all translations of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 from the KJV, the NIV, and the NLT respectively. But no matter the translation, the message is clear. Prayer is meant to be more than just something on my “to-do” list that I give twenty minutes out of my day, then check it off my list without another thought. Prayer is meant to be a twenty-four/seven life-line – a line that is always open, a line continually in use. I am given this instruction in Ephesians –

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)

Does prayer seem elusive or futile or too difficult for us mere mortals to even attempt? I am told in Hebrews that I can –

“approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that I may receive mercy and find grace to help me in my time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

That is pretty much an open invitation to talk to my Heavenly Father any time I want without the fear that I will be turned away or denied access to an audience with my Creator. Esther, who wanted to speak with the king, her own husband, risked being put to death for simply asking permission to come into his presence, if the king didn’t feel like seeing her at that particular time. Unlike Esther, I have all the assurance I need to encourage me to come boldly into God’s presence through prayer. I have God’s promise that I will be received, that I will be heard, I will be given mercy, and I will find His grace sufficient for my need. In fact, I have this open invitation –

“Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

When I “vent” to friends I worry that I may be overloading them with my burdens when they already have more than enough troubles of their own. With God, I need not have this fear because nothing is too hard for God, nothing surprises Him – He already knows my hurts, my fears, my worries. God knows what challenges I am facing and what I need in order to live this day in a way that honors Him.

“Before a word is on my tongue, You know it completely, O Lord.” (Psalm 139:4)

However, I don’t want to take advantage of my Heavenly Father’s offer to “cast all my cares on Him” – prayer is meant to be more than just a complaint session, although God is more than able to handle anything and everything I bring to Him in prayer. I am told to praise God and to thank Him. After all, He is worthy of my praise and my gratitude because –

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17) The psalmist reminds us –

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.” (Psalm 107:21-22)

Just thanking God and praising Him would take up more time than there is in a day – there is not enough time for me to properly praise and truly thank Him for who He is and all that He has done and is doing. I guess that’s why we need eternity. Praising and thanking an infinitely good God takes more time than I have now! And that’s with praying twenty-four/seven.

But the privilege of prayer extends to something more – more than requests and complaints, more than confession and repentance, more than praise and thanksgiving – I am also given the privilege of praying for others. I can pray the prayers of an intercessor. In fact, I am charged with doing this –

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

and I am to “always keep on praying for all the saints.” But there’s more. Not only am I to pray for kings and leaders and other believers (the saints) BUT – here’s a surprise –

“I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:44-45)

Luke 6:28 tells me to – “pray for those who mistreat you.”

As if my list of things and people to pray about and for isn’t long enough already, now I have to add people who are mean to me to my list? This hardly seems fair. But then I remember that Jesus is praying for me, making intercession for me, continuously, never missing a moment, no matter whether I am acting rightly or wrongly towards Him and towards other people. Jesus prays for me when I am His friend. He prays for me when I am His enemy.

Jesus gave me the ultimate example of praying for my enemies when He spoke these words from the cross –

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Jesus is still praying for each and every one today, including you and me. Hebrews confirms this saying,

“because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:24-25)

Romans confirms this saying – “Jesus Christ . . . is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)

Jesus is interceding for me, and I am given the privilege of interceding for others, even my enemies, through prayer. Between that and “casting all my cares” or giving all my worries to God through prayer and praising Him and thanking Him and worshiping Him through prayer – I can literally spend my days in prayer to God.

I want to spend my days in my Heavenly Father’s presence and it is prayer that ushers me into His presence. Prayer is the reason I enter boldly into God’s throne room. Prayer is what keeps me there. As the song says – “I need thee every hour.”

As the psalmist says – “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)

as for me – may my every breath be a prayer to God – whether prayers of praise, prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of petition, prayers of confession, cries of complaint and lament, cries of repentance, cries for help, or prayers of intercession for my friends and my foes alike –

let my every breath be a prayer!

sincerely, Grace Day

believing God for the unbelievable

Posted on by Grace Day

Abraham did. I want to do that too. But it’s hard – really hard sometimes. My problem is (well, ok I have lots of them, “them” being problems) but pertaining to this issue my problem is that I am walking/living by sight even though God’s word is clear – I am to walk by faith. And my sight isn’t all that great anymore anyhow, so walking by faith makes more sense than it ever has. BUT – walking by faith takes guts. Walking by faith takes unwavering courage when everything around you demands that you doubt what God has told you in His living Word to believe.

Such was the situation for Abraham. God called Abraham and made him a fantastical (is that a word?) promise. God asked Abraham to believe the unbelievable.

the call? –

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’ ” (Genesis 12:1)

the promise? –

“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)

the problem? –

“But Abram said, ‘O Sovereign Lord, what can You give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.’ ” (Genesis 15:2-3)

You see the problem now, don’t you, dear readers? Abraham didn’t have any children. He had only one wife, Sarah, (in those days men often had multiple wives) and she was barren, which is to say, infertile. So they had no children and now they were both old, way beyond the childbearing years. And yet God had the audacity to tell Abraham this –

the promise repeated –

“Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.’ He (God) took him (Abraham) outside and said, ‘Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ ” (Genesis 15:4-5)

Just imagine it – a childless old man, Abraham, with an old and barren wife, being told that he was going to have a biological child with his wife and not only that (as if one child wouldn’t be miracle enough) BUT – also, his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, which are too numerous to count! Unlikely? Unrealistic? Unbelievable? And yet Abraham believed God! Abraham believed despite the reality of his current circumstances. Abraham believed God for the unbelievable. How do I know this? I read Abraham’s response to God in Genesis 15:6 –

“Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.”

Abraham believed God for the unbelievable! And time went by. Still no children. Abraham was now ninety-nine years old. Things don’t seem to be moving in the right direction if his descendants are to be as numerous as the stars. BUT – God is faithful to fulfill His promises!

God’s covenant confirmed –

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty, walk before Me and be blameless. I will confirm My covenant between Me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ‘As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.’ ” (Genesis 17:1-6)

What must Abraham have thought about God’s promise to make him “very fruitful” even though he and Sarah continued to remain childless? It just didn’t seem possible. And yet –

“God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’ ” (Genesis 17:15-16)

Abraham doubts –

“Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?’ ” (Genesis 17:17)

God reassures –

“Then God said, ‘Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.’ ” (Genesis 17:19)

And so it happened just as God had promised –

“Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.” (Genesis 21:1-3)

So, mission accomplished, right? Well, their son was a miraculous gift from God. However, one child seems like a long way off from the promise of descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Still, Abraham believed God even when his faith was put to another test only a few years later. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. God was testing Abraham’s trust and obedience. God’s request made no sense, given that Abraham’s descendants were supposed to be “as numerous as the stars” and Isaac was Abraham’s one and only descendant at this time.

But Abraham obeyed God and headed up the mountain with Isaac and wood for the fire. Abraham believed God in spite of his current situation and obeyed God’s instructions for the sacrifice of his only son, Isaac. It was then that an angel of the Lord intervened saying –

” ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy,’ he said. ‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son.’ ” (Genesis 22:12)

then God repeats His promise to Abraham –

” ‘I swear by Myself,’ declares the Lord, ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed Me.’ ” (Genesis 22:

Abraham had God’s promise. He believed God for the unbelievable – descendants as numerous as the stars and the grains of sand even though he had only one child with Sarah, Isaac. One would think having many children would predict a better fulfillment of God’s promise, but Abraham trusted God to do the impossible. Fast forward several generations later – Isaac had twin sons, Essau and Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons and they all had families – Abraham’s descendants are increasing. They all ended up in Egypt because of a famine and we read this about them in Exodus –

“The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all;” – that’s when they arrived in Egypt. Next we read – “Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.” (Genesis 1:5,7)

The increasing numbers of Abraham’s descendants caused the current king of Egypt to fear them and so he enslaved them, oppressing them with forced labor. But Exodus 1:12-13 tells us what happened to the Israelites during the time they were slaves in Egypt.

“But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly.”

It looks like God’s promise to Abraham is coming true. Abraham’s descendants are becoming more numerous, even when conditions are less than good for them under Egyptian rule. The Israelites, Abraham’s descendants, would eventually leave Egypt, only to wander in the desert for forty years, before settling in their homeland. The number of Abraham’s descendants continued to increase through wars, through exile to Babylon, to the time of Christ’s birth and continues to grow to this day. God is still fulfilling His original promise to Abraham today.

Remember that God told Abraham – “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”? Well, that part of the promise was realized when Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior of the world was born. Jesus was born through Abraham’s line of descendants. That’s what God meant when He told Abraham that all people would be blessed through him. Through Abraham’s descendants, God’s blessing of a Redeemer for all mankind came.

I’m glad a childless old man, with an old and barren wife, believed God for the unbelievable – that his descendants would be too numerous to count and that all nations would be blessed because of him. Abraham not only believed BUT – “So Abram left, as the Lord had told him;” – he left his country, his people, his father’s household and followed God.

I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I want to believe God for the unbelievable things in my life that will happen when I, like Abraham, believe God for the unbelievable and take the action that God calls me to take. God’s call to Abraham was clear.

“Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1)

God’s call to me is no less clear today. I just need to turn the volume down on everything else, listen and respond. The number of Abraham’s descendants is continuing to grow larger day by day in fulfillment of God’s original promise to him. You and I have the opportunity to be part of that promise as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the grains of sand on the beach, because we know –

“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)

You and I are God’s heirs! We can believe God for the unbelievable! Like Abraham, I will not believe in my circumstances determining the outcome. I will believe instead in God’s promises, which are always true!

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

sincerely, Grace Day