Text Summary:

God tells Abram not to fear and promises him as many descendants as the stars and all the lands of modern day Israel. Abram trusts God and sacrifices a few animals. Abram dreams his descendants will be enslaved for 400 years but the enslaving nation will be punished and his descendants will gain great wealth.

My Thoughts:

God’s Promise: God promises Abram many descendants and land.  The perspective is interesting, to be focused on ones lineage instead of just oneself for today.  This perspective drives strong marriages, interest and dedication to educating children, and building long-term family assets instead of borrowing against future generations.  We desperately need this perspective today.

Do Not Fear: From a personal perspective, the key message of this story is not to fear. Trust in God and things will work out – eventually.  We have all had fears since the dawn of time:  fear of not having enough to eat, fear of losing a job and not being able to provide for our family, fear of losing our house, fear that our children will come to harm or not be successful, etc.

Fear can keep you from a fulfilling life by preventing you from simple things like trying new foods or meeting new people.  Fear also causes stress that weakens your immune system and reduces the quality and quantity of life.  In extreme cases, fear can even paralyze a person into total inaction.

Put your mind at ease and trust in God.  It may take time.  Don’t expect things to happen overnight, in weeks, or even months.  Life is not a TV show where the issue is solved in an hour, less commercials if you DVR ;-).

Take little steps towards your goals.  Listen to what is in your heart.  Pray for guidance. Push through the fear and do it anyway.  Your confidence will grow after each little step you overcome.  Do something different today: smile and say “Hi” to someone passing by, sign up for that cooking class you always wanted to take, write down some things you would like to do or accomplish.  It is your life, make the most of it each day!

God be with you.