And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.” vs. 6
Genesis 15:1-6
It’s just a single verse from one of the ancestral stories in Genesis, yet these few words have had an outsized importance as believers have put together their story of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. Paul used them as the linchpin of his letter to the Romans in his attempt to show that our salvation doesn’t depend on our obedience to works of the law. And it’s true! While what we do is important, and always will be important, what really counts is the spiritual connection that we have to the Divine Mystery. Abram had done nothing–he had grown old and had sired no children with his wife, Sarai. But as the story goes, the promise of progeny continued to be made, and Abram kept on believing it. And that trust was what counted. So, it is with us. We are promised that the Kingdom of God has come, and yet humanity continues in its same broken ways, and we seem far from the Peaceable Kingdom, but as we keep trusting, as we keep on believing, we begin to see signs of fulfillment. The key word is trust! It’s not allegiance to doctrines or a particular denomination, but a conviction that God is and that we are God’s people. And as we continue to trust, in good times and in bad, the Kingdom does come among us, just as Jesus has assured us! And it’s all grace!
Thought for the Day: What keeps me trusting in God?
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