Bible verse and Hymn for Monday 10 January

"Greetings in the name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"

Today's Blog Title: "God's Covenant with Abram"
Today's Scripture: Genesis 15:1-21
Today's Key Verse: Genesis 15:6: "And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to to him for righteousness."

In the opening of this Chapter we see that the Lord has come to Abram in a vision and He tells him not to be afraid because He is his shield, and His great reward.  Abram that asks God "What will you give me since I have no heir?"   

In verses 4-6 we see where God promises Abram that he would father a child, even in advanced age. God then tells him to count the stars in the heavens, if you are able, and then tells him that his descendants would be the same way.  Absolute trustworthiness was the object of Abram's faith, and it expressed Abram's own firm conviction, that God's promise to him was reliable.  

Abram then ask the Lord for a sign of His promise, not that he was troubled by unbelief.  God tells Abram to prepare a sacrifice and bring it to Him and the He would enact the sign.  This emphasizes the unconditional nature of God's covenant with Abram.

For the rest of the day Abram kept the vultures away from the sacrifice while waiting for God's sign.  God placed Abram in a deep sleep, and Abram was about to experience the presence of the Lord God Almighty. 

Covenants were confirmed by both parties.  How important it is to see here that God alone passed between the sacrificial animals.  The most binding of all covenants was the "covenant of blood", which was formalized by passing through the divided halves of sacrificial animals.  It was this covenant that God made with Abram.  You will also note here that only God walked between the parts of the sacrificed animals and that Abram had no part in making the covenant, so nothing that Abram does can cause it to be canceled.

On that same day that Abram believed in the Lord, and God counted it to him for righteousness, and God made the covenant with him. 

In the closing of this Chapter, God once again tells Abram the land would be given to his descendants.

Closing Question and Comment: Can your belief in the Lord be counted to you for righteousness?  Abram was not saved because of righteous living or obedience, but by believing in God and was declared righteous by God.  God wanted Abram, and us, to know that when God makes a promise, we can be greatly encouraged that God will never break His promises, and that He will never go back on His word.  We too, may exercise a faith that brings us into a personal relationship  with God.  Trust God with your salvation and everything else.

In this world I walk alone, with no place to call my home
But there's one who holds my hand, through rugged roads, through barren lands
The way is dark, the road is steep, but He's become my eyes to see
The strength to climb, my grief's to bear, the Savior lives inside me there
In your love I find relief, a haven for my unbelief
Take my life and let it be, a living prayer my God to Thee

Heavenly Father, Help us in our daily lives, to always believe and trust in you, that You may count it to us for righteousness.
                                                                                Amen

Have a God Filled and Spirit Led Day, and rejoice that Our God always keeps His promises.

Yours In Christ,
Cindi