.....new

"Then God brought Abram outside beneath the nighttime sky and told him, 'Look up into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that-too many to count!' And Abram believed God; then God considered him righteous on account of his faith." Genesis 15:5-6

After the creation account in the Bible, we are privy to the story of Adam and Eve, their fall from grace, their oldest son Cain's murder of his brother Abel, and their expulsion from paradise. We are only four chapters into Genesis at this point, and already, we could easily become discouraged.

But, wait. You don't have to go far to become hopeful, because a few chapters later, we are introduced to Abraham. At age seventy-five, God called this wealthy landowner to leave his home in Haran, and journey to Canaan. To do this, Abraham had to give up his home, possessions, and ties to his people. It would have been much simpler to stay put, remain wealthy, and live a life without challenges, but Abraham trusted God to give him a new and wondrous beginning.

And what did God give to Abraham, as a result of his trust and faith? God made him the father of Israel; his descendants were like the stars in the sky; at the ripe old age of 100, he and his 90 year old wife, Sarah, celebrated the arrival of their first child, Isaac, and Abraham accomplished all that God asked him to do.

We, like Abraham, are called. God has a purpose for each of us. And when we obey that call, He equips us with everything we need, and sends us on a journey of new and wondrous beginnings.