Advent Day 5

[The Lord] took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Genesis 15:5


Jesse Tree: Abraham and the Promise

Genesis 15:1-6

1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,[a]
your very great reward.[b]”

2 But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit[c] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.


God loves to make promises. Have you ever made a promise that was hard to keep? Has someone made a promise to you but then broken it? When that happens, we feel sad. The good news is that God never, ever breaks a promise!

God made a promise to Abram and his wife Sarai. Abram and Sarai had no children, and since they were almost 100 years old, they thought it was too late. But God promised Abram that he would have a son of his own. God invited Abram to come outside, look up into the night sky, and try to count the stars. God said, "Your family will be like that—there will be too many to count!" Abram believed in God's promises and had faith that it would happen.

When you look up into the sky, see how many stars you can count. Give thanks to God for all the promises he has made and for all of your family members.

Activity Advent: ummm we did nothing... long day, cranky kids, finishing quilt... didn't happen because it was supposed to be ice fishing lol