And God brought Abram 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.’ And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:5-6 (ESV)

Abram was a man who lived a long life and yet had no children. He and his wife Sarai were past the age of child-bearing, yet the Lord told them something they wouldn’t believe. God told Abram that he would be the father of many nations.

After going decades without having a child, out of nowhere the creator of the universe told Abram that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the night sky. It would be easy to deny that claim as Abram did initially. However, Abram had faith in God and the Lord counted him as righteous.

What made Abram righteous at that moment was that he put faith in God instead of doubting him. It’s much easier to believe in something you can see, hear and touch. It’s difficult to put faith in something without knowing whether it will come true or not.

If you look into the context of this passage, Abram was given this promise 10 years before and it still did not happen. However, he persisted in his belief, despite not seeing results from God’s promise yet. At this point in his life, Abram was lonely and dwelling in doubt. There were multiple times in Scripture when he didn’t trust God or put faith in him.

At the end of the story, Abram’s wife Sarai gave birth to Isaac and Isaac’s wife Rebekah gave birth to Jacob, who became the father of the 12 nations of Israel. Looking back on it now, we know that God’s promise was true, but at that moment, Abram wasn’t sure. Yet, he still believed in God’s promise and it counted to him as righteousness, because of his enduring faith.

God is our dearest treasure, the only genuinely satisfying joy we will ever know. He always keeps his promises, because he loves us. He cherishes us so much that he sent his one and only son to die on the cross for our sins, so that we may have eternal life if we believe in him. We need to take that leap of faith, just like Abram did, and believe that God can do anything he promises us.

This week, pray about your doubts if you have any. Meditate on the word of the Lord and see that he has fulfilled all his promises. Let that blessed assurance calm your anxieties and give you peace.