Bridging the Gap Between Reality and Faith: Genesis 15:4-6

God loves to take opportunities to strengthen our faith.  We have a limited perspective; He knows that.  We don’t always draw the correct conclusions; He knows that.  We try to follow Him and sometimes we get it right and sometimes we make mistakes.  He is a loving God and is pleased to give us grace and understanding.

God responds to Abram.  Consider what isn’t in God’s response.  God doesn’t offer up any correction regarding Abram’s expression of fear.  There is no chastisement in any way.

It may be surprising that God doesn’t chastise Abram for expressing his fear.  Had not God already declared He would make Abram’s descendants uncountable like the sand?  Could God have gotten upset at Abram by offering up his doubt regarding his offspring?

This is a surprising truth about God.  He doesn’t get mad at us when we question His plan from a lack of understanding.  He does get mad when we question because we lack faith.  We’re not God.  We don’t understand everything.  In truth, we don’t understand most things!  God knows at some level we listen to Him and obey Him based on our faith, not our understanding. 

Because we are thinking individuals, we assume God expects us to understand Him.  Because God’s comprehension is so much greater than ours, He understands that we cannot understand Him fully.  In fact, God appreciates that we cannot understand Him fully so much that He gives us faith to bridge the gap in our understanding.

Abram speaks his fear through the lens of his faith.  He tells God that he remembers the promise of an heir.  He also acknowledges that an heir has not been forthcoming.  He isn’t accusing God; he is merely acknowledging that a gap exists between his understanding and his faith.  That is something God absolutely appreciates.

In fact, God appreciates Abram’s position so much He offers an additional explanation.  The last time God talked to Abram about His promise, he used the dust of the earth as the comparison.  Now God uses the example of the starts in the sky. 

God is accomplishing two distinct purposes in this analogy.  First, God is reaffirming the promise through a second example.  God takes the opportunity to let Abram know He’s still in control and the timing just isn’t right yet.

God’s second objective is much more subtle and quite cool.  The dust is at Abram’s feet.  The stars are in the heavens.  By giving this second example, God is telling Abram that whether Abram looks down or looks up, there is a sign of God’s promise.  Wherever Abram looks, he can remember what God promises to make true in his life.

I love how God takes the opportunity to strengthen Abram’s faith.  There is a gap between reality and God’s promise.  Abram is trying to bridge that gap with faith.  God comes alongside him and reinforces his faith.  God loves to take opportunities to strengthen our faith.