I am your shield

Fear not, Abram! I am your shield; I will make your reward very great

When Abram was seventy-five years old, God made a covenant with him and promised that he would become the father of many nations (Genesis 12:1-4).   In today’s reading (Genesis 15:1), years have passed, and Abram is still waiting for these promises to be fulfilled.   When he voices his concerns over the delay, God assures him that his promises are unchanging.   He will have so many descendants that like the stars, he will be unable to count them (15:5)!

Abram had many reasons to doubt.   He was already up in years when God first called him, and he and Sarai were only getting older.   How could they have a child, and how could they ever possess a land that was already occupied?   And yet because he believed that God would keep his covenant, Abram persevered in hope.

You may sometimes feel like Abram did.   Maybe you are waiting for a loved one to be healed, a broken relationship to be restored, or a wayward child to return to God.   As time passes and you wait for signs that your prayers will be answered, it can be hard to keep hope alive.   Sometimes you may wonder if God has forgotten you.   Or you may even question whether he is really faithful to his word.

But God has made a covenant with you, and you can count on him.   His faithfulness and his promise of an eternal reward are unwavering.   He may not work in your preferred time frame or exactly the way you expect, but he will answer you.

Keep in mind that waiting on the Lord does not mean being passive.   It takes active, patient endurance as you recall God’s faithfulness and say,  “Yes, I trust in God’s plans” over and over again.   It requires countering fear and doubt with faith and hope.   It also means not trying to push ahead in your own way and in your own time.

So while you’re waiting on the Lord, remember Abram.   Follow his lead and put your faith in the God who keeps his promises—always.

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