Prayer and God’s Promises for the NationsSample

Seeing Stars: God’s Awesome Promise

Isaac grew, and Abraham could foresee Isaac’s having children of his own. Then came God’s call to take Isaac up the mountain, and Abraham’s faith survived the ultimate father-son test. After He provided a ram for an offering, the Lord renewed His promise to bless the nations through Abraham and his offspring. 

This time the Lord compared the number of Abraham’s offspring to the “stars in the sky” or the sands on the seashore. God’s promise to Abraham’s offspring (or seed) reached far beyond what Abraham could see through Isaac’s children, and revealed His long-term plan to reach all peoples on earth.

A few years ago, a student group in Mongolia read the promises of Genesis 22. But because their city was perpetually covered by a tent of pollution, the students couldn’t view the starry night. Then they went camping together and witnessed a night sky filled with stars. They returned home in awe of what God could promise to carry out through one individual.

If you’ve felt God stretching your faith recently, you might remember how He did the same for Abraham and thank Him that Father Abraham’s blessing carried across the earth and through time to stretch our faith today.