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July 18 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” Then he believed in the Lord, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:5,6. Abram was visited by the Lord and shown that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars—beyond number. Although Abram had no sons, God was going to honor him by miraculously providing a son in his old age. And beyond that, God was also laying the foundation of all who would believe upon His name. In a very real and direct way we are descendants of Abram, or as he would be called, Abraham, meaning father of a multitude. These verses illustrate the fact that God seeks only our belief in Him. It is not enough to say that I believe that God exists. That is not the point of this. The real point is that I believe in Him as a person whom I want to know –the One who is trustworthy, righteous, all knowing, and desiring of passing His life unto me. Of course we know that this is done by placing our belief in Jesus, the Son of God. He has died for us at the cross so that we can have eternal life with Him. Those who would claim that Christianity is merely a list of dos and don’ts fall short in their explanations. It has always been by faith that we find salvation, and these verses are the first explanation of that fact. Our faith, placed in God and the Son, is the basis of righteousness. Father we glory in Your name. You have asked us only to believe in You, and out of that belief we can find all that You have to offer to us. Let us hold steadfast to our belief, even when situations press upon us with difficulties. We know that You are sharing each and every moment with us, and we thank and praise You. Amen. |
