Saturday, February 23 Genesis
15: 1-12, 17-18
Mark Plumlee
If God appeared to you in a dream
tonight and told you to stop worrying about your wants and needs, because he’s
about to give you protection and wealth, what would you say? Would you break
out a wish list and highlight all the things you’ve asked for but never
received? Would you ask him why it took him so long to do this? How about this
– would you hug him and tell him that he’s already given you the greatest gift
of all by being a part of your life every day?
Let’s face it, we’re human beings
and we’d probably opt between option number one and option number two before
we’d even consider that third option. Last time I checked, people are generally
more concerned with the label on their clothes, how many Facebook friends they
have (or Twitter followers), the type of car they drive, and the type of
cellular phone they carry around. While we’re being honest with ourselves, I
must admit that I too am guilty of worrying about these things.
In chapter
fifteen of Genesis, we learn that Abram receives a vision from God. During this
vision, Abram discovers that he is about to receive a great reward from above.
Abram immediately responds to the news by asking God, “What will you give me
since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” (Gen 15:2)
God responds by telling Abram that soon he will have an heir, and that he will
be the father of many future generations. God then says, “Now look toward the
heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them” and he finishes by
saying “so shall your descendants be” (Gen 15:5). How does Abram respond to
God’s promise? He accepts it without further questioning.
Let’s
revisit my opening question for a moment. If you have a vision from God
tonight, what will you say? How are you going to react when God tells you that
he has better gifts in mind for you than you could possibly imagine? Will you
respond with the obedient attitude that Abram demonstrated, or will you become
insolent?
Daily Challenge: During this year’s observation of Lent,
I’d like to challenge you to draft a list of your wants. Once your list is complete, I want you to
evaluate objectively how important each of your wants is. You can do this by
asking yourself “How would the fulfillment my wants change my life in the short
term, and how would it change my life in the long term?” It’s my sincere hope
that you’ll see that you don’t need as much as you think, and you’ll suddenly
have more time to focus on God’s promise that we will always be taken care of.
Prayer Dear God, please help me to find a balance between my
wants and my needs. Help me to understand that most of my needs are already met
by you because you are with me every day. I know that life presents challenges
that threaten to move me away from you and your promises, but I know that you
will never lose your faith in me. Please help me to be grateful for all I have
been given, and remind me to be thankful for your steadfast love. It is in your
son’s name I pray.
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