After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:1-6 ESV).
There is a wonderful toy company that makes these cute little critters for putting fears and doubts at bay. I’ve attached a photo of some of them. I’m not sure they would be helpful for me, but I can understand their popularity. They are cute! Abraham had something much different for his doubts and fear though. Despite having great faith, Abraham could be unsettled by nagging fears and doubts. That is why, in the opening of Genesis 15, God says to him, “Do not be afraid… I am your shield, your very great reward.” Abraham was struggling to believe. God’s promise to make him the father of a great nation was now about ten years old, and he and Sarai did not have a child.
We all know the pain of promises unfulfilled; they can leave an aching void in our hearts and homes. Perhaps we follow God’s call and step out in faith. We risk something for his kingdom, but we don’t see the hoped-for results. At times like that, it can be hard to keep trusting in God. Like the psalmist we cry out, “How long, Lord, how long?” (Psalm 6:3).
The good news is that God understands our doubts and fears. He graciously responds to the prayer that says, “Lord, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief. Help me trust you more—even when I don’t see or understand your ways, even when it seems to be taking so long” (cf. Mark 9:24).
God explains that his ways are higher than we can imagine (cf. Isaiah 55:9). And his timing is impeccable—never early, never late. Trusting in these truths allows us to experience God’s peace and rest.