*An audio version of today's devotional is available on Leading The Way's MY Devotional podcast.
Imagine looking up at the evening sky in the desert somewhere in the Middle East thousands of years ago. Think of all the brilliant stars you would have seen without the ambient lights of modern civilization. That's the type of night sky Abraham would have seen when God told him, "Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them. . . . So shall your offspring be" (Genesis 15:5).
Read Genesis 12:1-9. God made Abraham some amazing promises: "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). But despite these great promises, the difficult reality for Abraham was that he was old, and his wife Sarah, barren. How could he possibly count the stars when all the odds were against him?
God wants us to take Him at His word, even when our circumstances tell us otherwise.
In those days, Abraham did not have a Bible. He did not have a small group or discipleship program. He did not have a church. He did not have a preacher. All he had was the word of Almighty God, calling him as He calls each of us: "Come and follow Me. Leave your life of sin. Now trust My word and believe My promises."
God wants us to take Him at His word, even when our circumstances tell us otherwise. You may have been burned by the broken promises of a loved one, but God never goes back on His word. You can trust Him when He says, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it" (Luke 11:28); "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5); "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9); "I am working for your good" (see Romans 8:28).
We, like Abraham, are waiting for God to fulfill all His promises. They are already ours, but like our spiritual father whom God called to the Promised Land those many years ago, we must contend in faith. We must continue to count stars, even when we see none. After all, God has given us His word, and that is enough.
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your incredible promises found in Your Word. May my heart delight in them and my mind recall them in every situation. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
"Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them. . . . So shall your offspring be" (Genesis 15:5).
Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon Counting Stars in an Empty Sky, Part 1: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOW
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