And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6
Years after the Flood and years after the collapsed Tower of Babel, God was in the midst of another “do-over”, choosing to work through an individual human and his family – Abram and Sarai – to renew and restore God’s relationship with humanity. Abram and Sarai were both quite old (as old as me!) when they left their country, their people, and all that was familiar to them to begin a journey. It is unclear what qualifications God looked for. Do you ever wonder how it came to be that God chose you and called you? In what ways was your response to God a brand new adventure of leaving behind to go forward?
God made wonderful promises to Abram of land, many descendants, and blessing to all the families of the earth through Abram and Sarai. What do you sense that God has promised you?
In truth, Abram wasn’t always “all in” as an unwavering believer. To save himself, he once shoved his wife into Pharaoh’s arms with the pretense that Sarai was his sister. (And this wouldn’t be the last time he used this ploy.) Thinking that God hadn’t studied the reproductive abilities of seniors, Abram suggested that his younger male slave Eliezer could be the first branch in that promised family ancestral tree. Sarai would also offer an alternative solution. Can you recall, admit, and now chuckle at some of your own missteps as you stepped forward bearing the name, spirit, and mission of Jesus Christ? Aren’t you glad that the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love?
In Genesis 15:1-5 God offers Abram blessed words of reassurance. Where in your life do you need God to say, or to pass on through God’s human ministry partners and angelic messengers, “Don’t be afraid, I am your shield, your great reward.”?
The entire journey of Abram and Sarai to that first promised child would take a name change for each, plus twenty-five years of waiting and wondering in the midst of sore feet and long divine silences. And, after the birth of Isaac, there would be more challenging moments. But, the fact that Abram (and Sarai) didn’t quit the journey along the way and didn’t give up on the vision, brought joy to God’s heart, as today’s Bible verse suggests. “The Lord reckoned it as righteousness.” Like Abram and Sarai in today’s verse, you are still in the midst of that journey. There are days, miles, and challenges ahead.
Dear God, we are grateful that You have given us life and breathed into us your Spirit… that You have led, fed, and blessed us along the way… that You have pledged your love to us and called forth our hope, trust, and faith… and that You have promised us both a meaningful journey along the way and an unfailing treasure in heaven at the end of the journey. Help us to hold on just a little while longer. We are ready to step forward again. Amen.
The Rev. Neil A. Bond is pastor at St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, West Oak Lane, Philadelphia, PA
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