Abraham

God promised Abraham would father many nations; he believed and obeyed. ~ Wendy Blight

GENESIS 15

Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness. — Genesis 15:6

God met Abram at a time when he was doubting God’s promises. God saw Abram, came to him, and spoke great encouragement.

Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. — Genesis 15:1

In his old age, Abram focused on the physical: what his eyes could see and what his mind could comprehend. God promised to make him into a great nation, but he had no children. God graciously reassured Abram that a son was coming.

He told Abram to look to the heavens and count the stars and said,

So shall your offspring be. — Genesis 15:5

Without any change of circumstances, Scripture says Abram believed the Lord. He believed God would do what He said He would do. That is faith. And God responded to Abram’s faith by crediting righteousness, right standing with God, as his reward.

Righteousness is an important word for us since it is said that we are counted righteous for believing in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 4:6-24; Romans 4:5:19; Romans 4:10). In both Greek and Hebrew, the word is full of meaning. Part of its meaning is doing what is right — that is, obedience to God, and doing justice in the world. The second part of its meaning, and just as important, is the connotation of having a legal right standing before a judge. Both of these meanings are inseparable from each other in the biblical sense of the word.

As with Noah, righteousness — or right standing with God — did not mean Abram was a sinless person. He simply trusted the Lord.

Read Romans 4:4-5. God’s Word says this same situation applies to all men and women who trust in the Lord. Describe what it means for you to place your trust in the Lord.

Reread Romans 4:4-5 and meditate on its meaning, jotting down your thoughts.

God’s ways have not changed over these thousands of years. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Trusting God at His Word… trusting His promises… will lead us to righteousness. The key is faith. Abram was renamed “Abraham” by God because of Abram’s faith to believe that God would make him the father of many nations (Genesis 17:5).

Faith doesn’t mean we never doubt or have questions.

In fact, Abraham immediately began asking God how the things He spoke of were possible (Genesis 15:8) and even laughed at other things God promised (Genesis 17:17). Have you ever doubted God, or asked God why difficult things happen? How were your questions or doubts answered?

God’s promises are eternal and unchangeable. They will not fail because God cannot fail.

We can believe the enemy or we can believe God.

We can succumb to lies or stand on Truth. In the garden, Adam and Eve chose to believe the lies of the enemy. Noah and Abram (Abraham), on the other hand, chose to believe the truths of God. Though, let us not forget, Noah and Abraham were not perfect. The times Noah and Abraham failed to follow God and misplaced their longings, God sent harsh consequences as a result.

We learned this week: Choosing lies and self-satisfaction leads to negative consequences. Choosing truth and humility leads to blessings and fulfillment. Why? Because when we choose to believe lies, we fall into the hands of the enemy. We hear the devil’s voice instead of God’s, so he determines who we are, our path, even our destiny.

When we trust ourselves, or others, over God, we risk moving so far from God that we forget His heart. His goodness. His love. We forget God’s commands are good. His purposes are good. He is good.

• Trusting in and obeying God’s Word is where we find our true and lasting significance, satisfaction, and security.

Abraham lived this well. God had promised to make him into a great nation, yet Abraham found himself without children. How could God’s promise come to fruition with no heirs? Was God truly trustworthy?

Abraham cried out to God in discouragement. God came to Abraham and graciously reassured him a son was coming. He reminded Abraham of His promises. Scripture says Abraham believed the Lord… without any visible proof… without Sarah being pregnant. Abraham took God at His Word. He believed God would do what He said He would do.

This, my friend, is the essence of faith. God’s ways have not changed. God’s promises and purposes are eternal and unchangeable. They will not fail because God cannot fail. When the lies of the enemy — fear, doubt, anxiety, unbelief, discouragement — rush in, we must immediately take those thoughts captive. Captive to the Truth of God’s Word. The Truth of who we are as children of the One TrueGod.

Read aloud the truth of who you are in Christ.

You are Loved. 1 John 3:1

You are Forgiven. 1 John 1:9

You are Redeemed. Ephesians 1:7

You are A New Creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17

You are Holy. Hebrews 10:10

You are Set Apart. Romans 8:30-39

You are A Temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 3:6:19-20

You are Made with Purpose. 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Peter 4:10

Now, pray and declare these truths over your heart and mind.

Abba Father, my Creator,

I praise You that I’m fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank You that I am forgiven and redeemed by the blood of Your Son, Jesus. Thank You that in and through the power of Your Holy Spirit, I am a new creation. Because of Your grace and mercy, I am Your hand-crafted masterpiece and You have good and perfect purposes for me.

Please grant me wisdom and discernment as I walk out that plan. Help me to discover who You’ve created me to be. Expose the lies of the enemy. Wash away anything You have not authored for my life. Protect me from the devil’s schemes. Give me eyes to see myself, not in the world’s eyes, but in Your eyes. Father, may I know deep in my heart that I am holy, created in Your image and set apart for Your purposes. Open my eyes to see my true beauty, a beauty that reflects Your heart, Your character, Your strength and Your dignity. Plant Your Truths deep in my heart. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and bless me all the days of my life.

I ask all this in the name of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Excerpted with permission from 40 Days Through the Bible by Lysa TerKeurst and the Proverbs 31 Ministries Team, copyright Lysa TerKeurst and Proverbs 31 Ministries Team.

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Your Turn

God considers it a very big deal when we believe Him and take Him at His word! He counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness. Believe Him! He will do as He said He would do! Come share your thoughts with us. We want to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily