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1 After all these things, this word of God came to Abram in a vision: "Don't be afraid, Abram. I'm your shield. Your reward will be grand!" 2 Abram said, "God, Master, what use are your gifts as long as I'm childless and Eliezer of Damascus is going to inherit everything?" 3 Abram continued, "See, you've given me no children, and now a mere house servant is going to get it all." 4 Then God's Message came: "Don't worry, he won't be your heir; a son from your body will be your heir." 5 Then he took him outside and said, "Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You're going to have a big family, Abram!" 6 And he believed! Believed God! God declared him "Set-Right-with-God." 7 God continued, "I'm the same God who brought you from Ur of the Chaldees and gave you this land to own." 8 Abram said, "Master God, how am I to know this, that it will all be mine?" 9 God said, "Bring me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, and a dove and a young pigeon." 10 He brought all these animals to him, split them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. But he didn't split the birds. 11 Vultures swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram scared them off. 12 As the sun went down a deep sleep overcame Abram and then a sense of dread, dark and heavy. 17 When the sun was down and it was dark, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch moved between the split carcasses. 18 That's when God made a covenant with Abram: "I'm giving this land to your children, from the Nile River in Egypt to the River Euphrates in Assyria - )Genesis 15:1-15, 17-18 The Message Bible)
"Faith is the assurance of things hoped for; the conviction of things not seen." The biblical definition of faith as we find in Hebrews 11:1. It's the foundation of life upon which we can build our dreams and prayers and we can tie into them our aspirations for things we would like to do. It was this faith that allowed me to be dropped off at college with hardly any money, just the promise of a work-study scholarship as I took the first official steps towards my call into ordained ministry. I found myself far from home, no car, no friends; just the reality of this is it. I was living in an answered prayer and hope for my parents who desired all five of us to attend and graduate from college; and a requirement for the path towards ordination I had chosen. I was the first from either side of the family to leave home for school, and it was both exciting and scary as all get out; but I knew I could do it. I couldn't yet see it, nor did I have any idea what it would look like, but I trusted God and I knew God loved me, so off I went. I believe you've had similar experiences with faith. Faith comes with hope but also with some pain at times, but always with the certainty that with God all things will be possible.
I'm thankful this all happened when I was nineteen years old. Abram was not quite that young. Abram could smell the nursing home from where he stood that night when God visited him. I could smell incense and other smells foreign to me. God told Abram with those always necessary words to all whom God visits: "Don't be afraid." Aw, so easy for God to say; for us not so much. Yet, Abram trusted God especially as God says, "I'm your shield and your reward will be grand!" And the two begin their talk. Abram reminded God that well, God hadn't quite delivered all God had promised. "There's the matter of children, and so far, nada; none that I can call my own." God says, "Hold on; one will soon be here, one that you will call your own." The Lord then takes the old man to see the sky and asks him to count the stars, knowing that such a thing is impossible, yet many in many churches on Sunday count the windows on the stained glass and the holes in the tiles of the roof; as many stars as you see will be the number of your descendants! One large family coming up! And the old man believed! God certified him, in this version, as "Set-Right-With-God." (Which other versions read as "righteous.").
But God’s response to Abram is full of love and grace. He reminds Abram of his place in God's story—not as someone forgotten, but as someone cherished, deeply known, and promised an inheritance that far exceeds his current understanding. God's promise to Abram wasn't just about land or wealth—it was about relationship and trust, even in the face of uncertainty. The imagery of the stars, as God invites Abram to count them, serves as a reminder that God's promises are vast, immeasurable, and beyond our comprehension. Every star in the sky was a reminder that God's covenant is eternal, filled with hope for the generations to come.
At the heart of this passage is the message that God is not far away when we doubt. He is with us, walking alongside us, and reminding us of His steadfastness. He doesn’t leave us in our moments of weakness or uncertainty, but draws us back to His heart, inviting us to trust Him more fully.
In this Lenten season, as we reflect on Jesus' journey to the cross, we are reminded that our faith, like Abram’s, is rooted in a promise. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are the fulfillment of God's covenant—He is the ultimate promise, the ultimate sign of God's unshakable faithfulness.
As we walk through Lent, may we find courage in God’s promises and draw near to Him, trusting that He will always show up, even in the moments when we are unsure.
PRAYER: Lord, thank You for the promise of Your presence in every season of life. Just as You assured Abram of Your faithfulness, reassure us today. Help us trust in Your unshakeable promises, especially in times of doubt or struggle. Teach us to see Your signs, even when they are hidden, and remind us of the inheritance we have in You. In this Lenten season, may we grow closer to You and learn to trust You more deeply. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: What are the "stars" He has placed before you as signs of His faithfulness? Write them down, and spend time meditating on them throughout the season of Lent. When doubts arise, return to these promises and let them remind you of God's unchanging love and commitment to you.
I love you and I thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
