Genesis 15:3-6 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
You can spend your entire life looking down at yourself and your circumstance. In this posture, you find a very limited and narrow life. Or you can choose to look up to the stars. In looking up you are forced to see beyond yourself and your circumstances. You see others around you and beyond. In seeing the numerous stars you see the very hand of God in your life. The creator of the universe is within plain sight to those who will see.
Living in the dumps and living in a big rush are symptoms of the one who always looks down. Such a view of life is an affront to God. That is because we are saying to Him: I refuse to look up. Hurry is similar in mood because it says: I do not have time to look up. Such busyness gives no regard to God or others because the focus is down. Perspiration is not inspiration. The result is we live life driven by the sinful preoccupation with ourselves and our low focus rather than upward toward God’s world full of hope and a future.
Abraham believed God. He goes out of himself in looking down at his circumstances and turns his eyes up to God. He places his trust in God’s righteousness and grace. Abraham exhibited many noble qualities of heart but none were sufficient for becoming righteous. He became righteous through his living confidence, trust and faith in God. Righteousness is a guiltless position in the presence of justice and right. The justification of every sinner is by faith, and by faith alone. But it is our just walk that proves God to be just in saving us. If we do not walk in the life of faith, we are still lost in the dark.
