MARCH 18, Genesis 22:16-18

In Genesis 22, God tested Abraham with a most severe test. God wanted to see whether Abraham loved Him more than his son, Isaac, and Abraham was found faithful because he was willing to sacrifice Isaac to God. Therefore God repeated the promise He made earlier that He would bless Abraham with a vast multitude of descendants. In Genesis 22:17, the Bible says that Abraham’s descendants will number as the stars of the heaven and as the sand upon the seashore. Genesis 22:18 further says that in Abraham’s seed i.e. Christ, all nations of the earth will be blessed. The Lord Jesus Christ will bring the gift of salvation to all who believe in Him. Not just Jews but also Gentiles like you and me!

You must have walked along some seashore on our island nation – do you think we can count the number of sand grains on the beach? No, and that would be obvious even in the days of old. However, the fact that the number of stars is as countless as the number of grains of sand – that was not something people knew then. Only in modern days do astronomers confirm this fact stated by God thousands of years ago.

God made the stars. He made so many that they cannot be counted. In ancient times, astronomers could only count about a thousand stars with their naked eye. Then came the invention of the telescope and people realised that the number of stars was huge - countless. Scientists are discovering more and more stars in the sky. Thus God has already revealed to us in the Bible that there are countless stars in the universe so that they can be compared to the sands of the seashore.

It is a pity that not many stars are visible on a typical night in Singapore. This is because the skies in our country are often dirty, and the bright lights of our city will not allow the stars to be so visible. But if you were to look out for stars from a village in Thailand or a hill in Malaysia, you would be much better able to see them.

Next time you see stars in the night, or the sand at the beach, remember God’s goodness to Abraham, and to you!

Thought: How good the Lord is!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me such a wonderful and easy reminder of Your love. The next time I see stars or sand, let me remember to praise You! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.