Sunday, 06 December, 2020

15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, []your exceedingly great reward."

2 But Abram said, "Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I []go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one[] born in my house is my heir!"

4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." 5 Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."

6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. - Genesis 15:1-6

Who was Abram?

There was a man called Abram. Abram is the man that was later called Abraham or Father Abraham as many refer to him. This man had three siblings and a nephew called Lot before he started his own family. 

The most amazing thing about Abraham is that He had great faith in God. When God spoke to Abraham, He knew He had someone He could count on. That's the kind of person Abraham was and his story is encouraging to most people, if not all. 

A few things you might want to know about Abram. He had no child and was married to a barren woman. And yet, he is the same guy that later had the many descendants that he has through his faith. 

Sarai was barren 

30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child. - Genesis 11:30 

God is a wonderful Father. All through the Bible, you see Him establish covenants with many people. And, what He says, always comes to pass. God will never do anything beyond what His word says. What God says always comes to pass. 

I want you to notice the name Sarai, because, Sarai was barren but Sarah was a mother. The difference isn't in the name only, but the difference is that after God made a covenant with Abram, He changed both the names of Abram and Sarai to the names we call them. 

Every new thing God does in our lives cannot be accommodated in our old vessels. God has to change us  in order to accomplish everything He wants us to do. That is why He had to change their names. Sarai's name was tainted with barrenness, but Sarah was a fruitful woman. The difference is  in the covenant God had made with them. 

I am your shield 

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, []your exceedingly great reward." - Genesis 15:1

A lot of times, God never really tells us exactly what the plan is. Usually, that's what frustrates us. I imagine how Abram must have felt. God told Abram that he'd have so many descendants. But so many years had gone by and nothing had come his way. Abram must have gotten tired as well. But look at how loving our Heavenly Father is. He encourages Abram by saying, "I am your shield." 

You'd wonder and think, "What's that got to do with me?" But a lot of times, we forget that, it's not so much about what God can do for us, but more about who God is to us. God saying, "I am your Shield," is a greater blessing than having a child. When we learn to treasure the relationship we have with God in our nothingness, it actually makes Him happy. 

It might not have been the best words to hear that day. It's probably not what Abram wanted to hear, but It's what He needed to know. When we know who God is, then we start to realize that He can do the impossible. If we do not know our Heavenly Father, how then can we trust Him? You cannot trust somebody you are not well acquainted with. 

I am your reward  

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, []your exceedingly great reward." - Genesis 15:1

Could it possible that God wants us to know Him first before He starts to demonstrate His great power in our lives? Whether or not we have whatever it is we are praying for, God is our reward. He is our happiness. He is our joy. Everyone can easily say that we are happy or joyful in God, but there's really no way to tell until we are tested. 

While God wants to bless each and everyone of us, He wants something better for us. He wants to know that He is our reward. Married or not, God is our reward. In school or not, God is our reward. In sickness or health, God is our reward. In lack or in plenty, God is our reward. God will never accept second place. He always wants to be first in our lives. 

Believe in the Lord 

And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. - Genesis 15:6

It doesn't matter how things look right now, only believe in God. What guarantee did Abram have that God would do what He said He would do? Abram had nothing but faith. Faith is everything. We don't always have to understand what's happening in our lives, but we need to believe that everything is working out for our good. 

What if Abram had gotten his son a little too early, would he have been the same man we know of? No! Remember, Abraham stands out for His great faith in God. He needed to wait this long for us to know about Him. God works through us as we have faith in Him. 

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. - Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

God has made everything beautiful for its own time. Let God do what He knows how to do. Our part is in having faith in Him alone. When we try our own things, it can turn ugly. Remember, when God does it, it's beautiful. It works our perfectly and aligned with exactly what He planned for us. When we do it, it becomes ugly and disarranged. He knows what to do, even though we do not see it. He is our great reward! 

Prayer: Father, we thank you for this new day and for the first Sunday in the month of December. Lord, start our week with personal words of encouragement as we encounter your presence in your word. Help us to know you and help us to love you. Be to us our great reward as we have faith in you alone. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen

Note: Hey readers! Thank you for stopping by. Take this word with you this week and God bless you. See you next week, same place and same time, wait, maybe different times. Thank you for joining, may God bless you abundantly. Shalom.