BELIEVING IN THE DELAY – Abraham’s faith in God’s promise

Genesis 15:5-6

5 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.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Abraham stood with the Lord, gazing up at the night sky and counting the stars of heaven, as he once again listened to the Lord’s promise. It had been years, even decades, since the Lord first told Abraham that he would become a great nation, and yet, he and Sarah remained childless.

On this profound night, God led Abraham outside and instructed him to look up and count the stars, serving as a reminder of that very promise. This time, after all these years, it must have stirred a deep pain within him. Delay has a way of doing that. Nevertheless, Abraham stood there with his head tilted back, his eyes wide and weary, and that flicker of faith reignited just as intensely as when he first heard God’s promise. And he believed in the Lord!

To believe God during the delay, when things seem increasingly impossible, is an act of righteousness. Trusting God and His word in our lives is paramount—it may even be the sole essential. The Gospel has always been simple.  Costly, but simple.

If God has been reminding you of His promises for your life, do not allow the pain of delay to extinguish that faintly burning wick. Let God’s voice reignite your heart. Allow His breath to fan your faith until it blazes fully. Believe in God! He loves you, and He will not forget His promises to you.