August 6th - Reflection

Acts 7:1-8 (NRSV)
Descendants promised to Abraham

Then the high priest asked him, "Are these things so?" And Stephen replied:

"Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, 'Leave your country and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.' Then he left the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God had him move from there to this country in which you are now living. He did not give him any of it as a heritage, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him as his possession and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child. And God spoke in these terms, that his descendants would be resident aliens in a country belonging to others, who would enslave them and mistreat them during four hundred years. 'But I will judge the nation that they serve,' said God, 'and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.' Then he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

Reflection
Sometimes we don't see the results of the promise. Sometimes the results of a promise are seen by others at another time. The promise God gave to Abraham is still being revealed to this day through you and me. So, many descendants beyond those of blood relations to millions that are descendants through spiritual relations. All in the fulfillment of the hope in a promise which could never be imagined by Abraham. Could it be that we, as part of this promise, will be a story in ourselves to those yet unborn? Could it be that God is using our lives, like he used the life of Abraham and so many others before us, to fulfill his promise to Abraham? Could it be that we are part of this on-going Bible story also? I think so! Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, take my life, my time and place and use me in your great story that goes beyond place and time, now and forever. --- Amen