Somethings are hard to believe and Robert Grey was having a hard time believing that January was over half gone already. Robert was also having a hard time believing what he was reading. As he sat in his rocker paging through the book he had received for Christmas he kept shouting out “No Way. That can't be true. I don't believe it.”
“I don't think I
can believe it either.” came a voice that sounded like it was ready
to burst into crying.” It was Bill. “You don't even know what
I'm reading?” Robert said “I'm not talking about what you are
reading.” Bill said, “I'm talking about – what are you
reading?” “Oh,” Robert said, “It some book I got for
Christmas called 'Ripley's Believe It Or Not.' These stories are too
hard too believe.”
“So is.... So
is.....” Bill started to say and then he did start crying. “This
can't be good.” Robert said to himself and put down his book.
“Bill, is something wrong.” After asking the question three more
times, Robert finally got a broken reply. “It’s Harold and
Stella and that funny virus they made.” Bill said through his
crying.
“But there
better.” Robert said, “There's no reason to be crying now.”
“But they're not better.” Bill said still crying. “They're
back in the hospital and, and, and, and they are worse than ever.”
When Robert heard that his heart sank. “Gulp, Tell me you're just
telling me a story to see if I'll believe it or not?”
“I wish I was.”
Bill said, “But I'm not.” “How bad is it?” Robert asked
feeling as if he might start crying too. “They don’t seem to know
anything now.” Bill said. “And on top of all of that, they have
been running high temps and shaking violently. They looked so bad I
couldn't even stay and watch them.”
“With tears
starting to stream down his eyes, Robert finally asked, “What does
the Doctor have to say?” “ He thinks that this is the end.”
Bill said. “You mean they're about to die?” Robert asked with a
very concerned look on his face. “No,” Bill said, “The end of
the virus. The doctor thinks they will soon be better.”
“I think that's
good news.” Robert said, “But didn't they say that before.”
“Yes.” Bill said, “But, I can’t see how it is possible. They
look like they are dying. I just can’t believe it, even though I
want too.” “We can always try.” Robert replied, “We can
always try.”
Now the LORD
said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your
father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of
you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so
that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and
him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of
the earth shall be blessed." - Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV) – To
be a great nation meant having many descendants but there was a
problem, Abram had no children so we read again. The LORD said to
Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Lift up your eyes and
look from the place where you are, northward and southward and
eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to
you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the
dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth,
your offspring also can be counted. - Genesis 13:14-16 (ESV) –
That is a lot of offspring but again, Abram had no children and while
we are not told so in these verses, Abram and his wife are getting up
there in years. Could Abram believe God, could he believe the
promise?
After these
things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Fear
not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."
But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I
continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"
And Abram said, "Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a
member of my household will be my heir." And behold, the word
of the LORD came to him: "This man shall not be your heir; your
very own son shall be your heir." And he brought him outside
and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are
able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your
offspring be." And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to
him as righteousness. And He said to him, "I am
the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you
this land to possess." But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I
to know that I shall possess it?" He said to him, "Bring
me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram
three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." And he
brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over
against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. And when
birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As
the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold,
dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. Then the LORD said to
Abram, "Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners
in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they
will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment
on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with
great possessions. As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in
peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come
back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites
is not yet complete." When the sun had gone down and it was
dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between
these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of
Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the
Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the
Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the
Girgashites and the Jebusites."
Genesis
15:1-21 (ESV)
Why was it hard for
Abram to believe? Why is it hard for us to believe? Others in the
Bible found it hard to believe.
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Gideon - Then Gideon said to the LORD, “If you are pleased with me, give me proof that it is really you talking with me. Judges 6:17 (NCV)
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John the Baptist - John the Baptist was in prison, but he heard about what Christ was doing. So John sent some of his followers to Jesus. They asked him, “Are you the One who is to come, or should we wait for someone else?“ Matthew 11:2-3 (NCV)
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Thomas - The other followers kept telling Thomas, “We saw the Lord.“ But Thomas said, “I will not believe it until I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side.“ John 20:25 (NCV)
Proverbs 3:5 Trust
the LORD with all your heart, and don’t depend on your own
understanding. (NCV)
Here's Something
To Ponder
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What keeps you from believing?
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How willing are you to believe God?
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