Genesis 12-15

Selected Lectio Reading:
Gen 15:12-16


Meditatio/Reflection:

This must have been a terrifying yet oddly comforting experience for Abram.  He encountered a "deep and terrifying darkness" in his sleep.  Ever since I was little, I have had experiences of extreme darkness as I was falling asleep.  In those moments, I dread that passage from consciousness to sleep.   Sometimes, I simply lose the ability to stay awake and fall asleep.  Recently, I've tried to more consciously choose to seek God in the moment, ask for his reassurance, breathe deeply, and actively seek sleep despite the looming darkness.

And it's that promise of God's that at some point, the darkness will end and that ultimately, we need not fear it, which offers comfort and allows me to peacefully drift to sleep.  In this passage, there is the a threefold repetition of the warning regarding Abram's descendants: "shall be aliens...shall be slaves...shall be oppressed" (v. 13).  To think that my kids or theirs will have to undergo such hardship is difficult for me to comprehend or accept.  I want to protect them, keep them safe from such problems.  But if I step back and look at our society today, it's not difficult to imagine that my own kids will have much to endure in their lives.

So what can I do?  How can I prepare them to engage their futures with hope instead of fear and trembling?  Well, we see here that God immediately follows up his warning with his promise: "bring judgment on the nation that they serve...they shall come out with great possessions...you shall go to your ancestors in peace...you shall be buried in a good old age...they shall come back here" (v. 14-16).  Even in those times of "deep and terrifying darkness," God can and will be there to see us through.  I hope and pray that I can impart this hope to my kids.

As an aside, I wonder if the fivefold promise in v. 14-16 has any correlation to the establishment of the Law of Moses (as five often symbolizes the Torah/Law).  Something to ponder...

Oratio/Thanksgiving:

Lord, thank you for the hope that you offered here to Abram to comfort any worry that he may have about the future.  Thank you for offering me that hope as well.

Oratio/Prayer Intentions:

Lord, may I never forget the hope that you offer me, especially when I'm facing those dark moments right before I drift to sleep.  Bless my kids with the knowledge that you are always with them.

Mr. Crane's Song of the Day:

Chris Tomlin: Whom Shall I Fear (The God of Angel Armies)

Saint Quote of the Day:

"He that is kind is free, though he is a slave; he that is evil is a slave, though he be a king."
      -St. Augustine