Can You Count the Stars of the Night Sky?

 

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:1–6 ESV).

 

Our reading today has been an encouragement to me at many times in my life. I wonder how many times Abram had looked into that sky, asking God to fulfill his promise from years earlier to give him children of his own. I also wonder if Abram had stopped praying that prayer, and when. God had promised him that the nations would be blessed through his offspring (cf. Genesis 12:1-3). But nothing had changed. Abram and Sarai still didn’t have a child.

 

There is weariness and sorrow in Abram’s response to God: “What can you give me since I remain childless?” Here Abram is basically asking, “Can I truly believe you?” For many of us, this is our story too. We’ve prayed repeatedly, trusting that God hears us and cares for us. Sometimes God shows up with a miraculous answer. But other times we cry out with the psalmist, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1). Remember it was 25 years before God fulfilled the promise to Abram in the birth of Isaac, and nearly 2,000 more years passed before God sent Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of his promises.

 

During Advent, we join Abram in waiting with our weariness and sorrows. And God invites us to remember and believe that his faithfulness, mercy, and love for us extend from one end of the heavens to the other—far beyond our ability to count. Go ahead… see if you can count the stars. It is futile since there are so many. This is just a small glimpse into the greatness of our God to provide for us. The birth of Jesus is just the beginning! Trust in Him!