Salt in my Kitchen .....series

Salt in my Kitchen

 

by:

Jeanette Lockerbie

 

Sand, Stars, and Promises

 

Bible Reading: Genesis 22:13-18

 

Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The Lord it shall be provided." 15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son-- 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."  

Genesis 22:13-18

 

Traveling through the desert, perhaps pausing to filter handfuls of sand through his fingers, did Abraham ponder God's stupendous promise? Sand. He could relate this to mighty numbers, as God had promised his nation would become. But starts! What similarity could there be in the number of "sands on the sea shore" and the starts visible on even the clearest night?

 

Ah, but Abraham had never stood on MT. Wilson or Mt. Palomar viewing the heavens through giant telescopes. It was never given to him to hear twentieth century scientists speculate:

It would appear there are possibly as many starts

in the sky as there are grains of sand on the seashore.*

 

No longer do astronomers have any basis on which to scoff at God's promise to Abraham. The Lord makes no extravagant promises. Increasing scientific knowledge only brings this into focus.

 

Like Abraham we would o well to "stagger not" at God's great promises. Somehow we muster up faith for the less significant needs. God is waiting to honor our faith in big things.

The late Dr. Roland V. Bingham, founder of the Sudan Interior Mission, grasped this fact amid trying circumstances. His theme song and battle cry was:

 

Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees and looks to

God alone;

Laughs at impossibilities, and cries, "It shall be done!"

 

 

*Dr. Irvin Moon, in God of Creation, Moody Science Film. Used by permission.