“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; Deuteronomy 7:9
The Lord’s plans have always been generational. He makes covenants that last through the generations and are everlasting. God’s mercy and love is so great and awesome that He is willing and able to bless someone’s life incredibly through thousand generations because they love God and walk according to His ways! This scripture is powerful and encouraging, and we see it played out in the life of Abraham in a far greater dimension than Abraham would have thought or imagined!
Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. Genesis 12:7
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” Genesis 15:4
When God spoke to Abraham, Abraham did not have any children. This did not deter God from making a grand promise to him. Abraham’s dilemma was about who would be his heir. However, the Lord’s vision was far greater for him. Abraham’s concern about not having an heir was minuscule compared to God’s plan for Abraham. God’s thoughts were about Abraham’s descendants.
God’s plan for Abraham was far wider than just blessing Abraham’s family, but it was also about reaching humanity with His plan of salvation. Abraham’s vision was too small while sitting in His tent and focusing on what He did not have. Therefore, God took him outside and had him look at the stars in heaven. I wonder what Abraham thought when he looked at the stars. According to scripture, Abraham believed God that he would have descendants, but did he understand the scale of the work God was going to do!?
The stars in the skies are enormous, which would have probably made him think of the multitude of children and grand children. However, they also cover the entire skies, which speak of their vastness and their far reaching impact! Regardless of the geographical place, the stars can be seen from any location. They also exist for generations to come. They don’t necessarily change or go away but remain constant through the generations. God’s promise to Abraham was physical and spiritual, and it was far, wide, deep, and high! He is so awesome!
Sometimes, our vision is small, and we get too focused on what we want or what we don’t have. Most of our prayers revolve around those desires, and we can be discouraged and frustrated with what we don’t see happening. All along, God sits outside of time and considers the generations that come after us. He is preparing us, and He is paving the way for what He wants to do for generations to come.
Do you have a tent around your vision? Spend sometime with the Lord and identify those areas that your vision is too small. Allow Him to speak to you generationally about His plans for your life!
