Trust MeSample

As You Wait, Look Up

Read: "Then the Lord took Abram [Abraham] outside and said to him, 'Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That's how many descendants you will have!’" (Genesis 15:5)

Think: When Abraham was already 75 years old, God called him to leave his home and family with this promise, "I will make you into a great nation. All the families on the earth will be blessed through you.” We can read Abraham's story in about 25 minutes, but it is 25 years that Abraham waits for a son. At least five recorded times, God repeats this promise to Abraham in his chapters of waiting. In God's second reminder, He says, "Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That's how many decedents you will have." God used the stars He spoke into existence as a tangible illustration for Abraham to remember His promise.

God's story did not end when Abraham died in Genesis 25, only seeing a partial fulfillment of God's promise to Him through Isaac. God's story did not end when Jesus, the great (x 38) grandson of Abraham, died on the cross and rose from the dead. God has written your story and promises you that it will glorify Him and be for your good. You may be in long chapters of waiting, but the Author is good; His power is incredible; and His timing is perfect.

Apply: As you wait, look up. This last year has been marked with universal wait: for jobs and schools to open, for test results, for the world to be "normal" again. Many of us wait for other things: for children like Abraham and Sarah, for relief from chronic pain, for a husband or wife, for unbelieving family and friends to know Jesus. As you wait, remember God's promise to Abraham. Be reminded of your place in God's story. Nothing is wasted - no story and no moment in history. Look up and see the stars. The God who placed them is good and faithful to His promises. See God's fulfillment of His promise to Abraham through Isaac, and ultimately through Abraham's very GREAT grandson, Jesus Christ. He is the Great Light of the world (whose birth was announced with a star) and the proof of God's faithfulness to Abraham and to you.

Pray: God, the great Author of time and Creator of the stars, give me strength and confidence in you, to wait well. Thank you for your perfect timing and purpose in my chapters of waiting. Amen.

(Kate Lab is the Mission Engagement Director at The Factory Ministries , wife of Joe Lab, Pastor of Hershey Mennonite Church, and mother to two sweet kids, Ethan and Eliza.)