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Do Not Fear – God Gives Good Gifts

Genesis 15:1 NIV
After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

This ‘do not fear’ is an interesting one. It comes after Abram has defeated his enemies and rescued his family members that were taken captive.

It also comes after Abram has refused any of the spoils from this skirmish, any reward or payment. The results of this adventure went better than anyone could have expected, but Abram didn’t want what was owed him.

But Abram still doesn’t have what he really wants, a child, and so he’s frustrated with God. I experienced a small portion of all the years that Abram has waited for a child, and I can definitely relate.

I had so many blessings, but my thinking was dominated by the one thing that I didn’t have, the thing I had wanted all my life.

Anybody else? How does the enemy get us to focus on the one thing we think we have waited more than long enough for instead of on our blessings?

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Robyn Pratt Avatar

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Robyn Pratt
A law enforcement wife with two daughters in high school, former world traveler still having adventures following Jesus, currently with preschoolers. Not perfect by any means, just living under grace.
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4 responses to “Do Not Fear – God Gives Good Gifts”

  1. lghiggins Avatar
    lghiggins

    😔 We just have to keep presenting our request to him, trusting Him that His omniscience is complete. It can be hard; in the case of family issues, very hard.🙏

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  2. wordancerblog Avatar
    wordancerblog

    This is a very important story you bring up today. As I age, I realize that the one thing I wanted – a child – did not come to pass. I kept thinking G-d was not listening or somehow I was unworthy – but finally I realized he gave me more than I asked for – he gave me classrooms full of children for 48 years and counting. That is a true blessing. Thank you, Robyn for the important reminder!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Robyn Pratt Avatar
      Robyn Pratt

      Love this!

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      Reply
  3. Kimberly Avatar
    Kimberly

    What strikes me is that Abram’s fear surfaced after the victory, not before it. Sometimes we imagine fear only visits when everything is falling apart, but it can arrive just as easily after the battle—when the adrenaline fades, the questions return, and the heart remembers the one prayer that still seems unanswered.

    God’s words were remarkably precise: “I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1). Abram had just refused the king of Sodom’s reward, and God essentially told him, You did not walk away empty-handed. You have Me. Yet the Lord did not scold Abram for still grieving the child he did not have. Abram could be grateful for God’s protection and still ache over God’s delay. Faith is not pretending the empty place no longer hurts.

    Unanswered prayer can become so large in our vision that every blessing must stand behind it and wave to be noticed. But God gently redirected Abram from counting what was missing to considering Who was present. He would eventually give Abram the promised son, but first He reminded him that the Giver Himself was not merely a consolation prize while he waited.

    Sometimes God’s first answer to “What about the thing I still do not have?” is not an explanation. It’s His presence: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee” (Isaiah 41:10). And although that may not immediately fill the cradle, repair the loss, or resolve the longing, it keeps the unanswered prayer from becoming the only truth in the room.

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