In Genesis 15, God takes the aging, childless Abram outside and says, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them. So shall your descendants be.”
How do you think that felt to Abram? What would he have said to Sarai, his wife? When I look at the stars away from city lights, I am overwhelmed to consider the sheer number and size of the universe. What would Abram have felt at his advanced age of God’s promise?
I find Abram and Sarai to be encouraging ancestors of faith because they struggled to grasp God’s promises (and Sarai even laughed when she heard). When so much seems to be going the other direction, God’s promises of care and presence can seem too much. How do you live in that tension, and allow space for God’s Spirit even as you struggle?
How do we hear God’s promises today? During Lent, the promises of dying and rising are at the heart of our Lenten journey, and they are hard to grasp. Are there times when you’ve gained a new perspective on these promises?
Beloved of God, God promises to share your life even when it seems as impossible as counting the stars. Be open to shifts and turns in your awareness of where God is (and how God is not, too). God’s promises continue for you and me today.
Three Holy Days
In our tradition, we make space on Maundy Thursday to remember central parts of our faith story. We hear about the...
