Foundations Week 2, Day 4

Scripture Read:  Genesis 15
Title: The Abrahamic Covenant
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H.E.A.R. Entry
(H) Highlight verse::  "And he believed the LORD and He counted it to him as righteousness. ."  (Genesis 15:8))

(E) Explain:  Earlier in Genesis (chapter 12) God made a promise to Abram.  We are reminded time and again that God always keeps His promises.  It is at this junction of life Abram begins to question God's promise.  Abram and Sarai are childless and one of God's promises was that He would give them offspring to inherit the land He was given him.  Since they remained childless Abram thinks that God is going to bless them by using the heir to his household as the means of blessing Abram.  God assures him this is not the case.  Abram thinks he figured God's plan out, but he had no idea what God was actually going to do (we will see this all come to fruition a few chapters later). Abram's plan is a man devised plan, but certainly not a God ordained plan.  God reminds Abram of His promise by making a covenant with Abram.  It is in these verses (9 - 21) we see the process God uses to confirm the covenant.  God didn't make a mistake in his promise to Abram, Abram just didn't know how God would accomplish it.  However, we are told Abram BELIEVED God and He counted this as righteousness.

(A) Application:  Our plans are not always God's plans..  Sometimes situations in our lives arise and things seem bleak.  I think God has spoken to me and intellectually I believe that He has the ability to do what He has promised, but sometimes I find it hard to believe fully in my heart that He will.  When I feel this way is when I find that I start devising a plan to "help God out" in fulfilling His promise, but He doesn't need my help.  He has it all under control.  It is important for me to respond as Abram did in verse 6... God just wants me to believe (have faith, trust) Him and this is all He requires of me.  It really is a simple process, but can be so hard sometimes. 
Thankfully we have the reminder of God's promises fulfilled through Jesus.  Through Him we have received the promise of life.  Because of Jesus, we can know and FULLY believe that God care about His people and He wants us to trust Him fully, because He is trustworthy.  Whenever we feel that God has forgotten about us or isn't going to do what He said, let us simply remember Jesus,.    

(R) Respond:  God, I will trust you, even when I don't act like I trust you, because you are trustworthy.