Can you count the stars…?

“And He brought him outside [his tent into the starlight] and

said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars – if

you are able to number them. Then He said to him, so shall

your descendants be.

And he [Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained

steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to Him as righteouness

(right standing with God).

Genesis 15:5, 6

 

I love this scripture and I really love how God works. I love how God

is always trying to make us see more. Abram had left what he had

always known to follow the Lord. The Lord had told him to

pack up and leave to a place unknown. Did Abram know what

was waiting for him? I seriously doubt that.

Before God called him did he have a vision for his life? He probably

did but I don’t think it was as big as what God had planned.

And that is why God had to take him outside. He had to give him

another picture. It’s interesting to note how many times God kept on

telling Abram about his purpose…..He didn’t just tell him one time!

 

The picture Abram had would not help him walk

in God’s amazing promise. So God took him outside and showed

him something outrageously beautiful if there is such a thing!

God showed him something which was naturally impossible. It

was impossible, plain and simple. But that didn’t stop God.

As I read this I can see how God did this for me. I didn’t have the

right picture before I became a Christian. I had another picture,

a picture created by the abuse that went on in the house, a picture

carefully crafted by everyone who didn’t see God’s amazing plan.

They thought they were being nice, they thought they were

been realistic, some thought since they knew me better than

the majority they could tell me what my life would be like. But

it was all lies and I didn’t even know it. ………

 

“You are not going anywhere in life”

“You don’t have what it takes to make it in this world”

“You are so dumb”

“Look at where you grew up”

“Abused people don’t have a future”

“Don’t dream big”

 

On and on it went. But I was young and no one taught

me to say no to what was being said. I didn’t know better so

I agreed with everyone…..Every single negative word became

a part of me and every negative word formed the “picture”.

 

Then I became a Christian. I still had the messed up “picture”.

It dictated everything in my life. It dictated what I was to expect

in life, which wasn’t very much. It dictated what kind of friends

I should have. It dictated the kind of life I was to pursue!

 

But God intervened and showed me another picture. At first I

rejected it. Lies….It was all lies! Someone was trying to set me up

again. But God persisted and took me “outside and showed me

the stars and told me to count them if I could……..”

Over time I began to believe Him. It was crazy but how could I

not believe?

Changing the “picture” was the most painful thing I had to ever

endure. It tooks years and years of pain and even tears. But

God in His grace persisted and kept on showing me “His”

picture and I am forever grateful. Am I there yet? Not by a long

shot but the picture has changed drastically and continues to….

 

Friends, God has a better “picture” for your life. He wants

to show you the most amazing things if you let Him. Ditch the

old picture that told you how much of a loser you were, that

told you how ugly you were, that told you how insignificant you

were, that told you you had no future, that made you aim as low

as possible just in case you failed…..!

 

God has a better picture for your life and He is inviting you

outside to look at the stars and count them if you can……

The old picture can be changed. The enemy has lied to you

and has done something crazy. He has made you believe that

the old picture is the truth!

He has made you believe that the old picture is the real you!

He is dead wrong friends!

 

God’s picture is stronger than any picture the enemy can

ever fabricate. That is what he has done. I looked up the

definition of fabricate and this is what I found:

 

Fabricate – invent something in order to deceive.

synonyms -forge, falsify, fake, counterfeit, make up and invent

 

Crazy right?!!

 

My hope is that you will understand the ‘picture” can change.

Your truth can change. There is another picture, God’s

picture. There is no other picture that can compete to His

picture. All other pictures must bow down to His. He loves us

with everything within Him. He has only the best reserved

for us. Let’s stop listening to the lies of the enemy.

As I end I will leave you with a very simple but powerful

truth,

 

There is more…….

 

 

Rolain

 

photo credit: google images