What Will You Give Me?
This past week my spirit was heavy - bouncing off a lot of emotions and this verse in Genesis 15:2 kept ringing in my mind. In fact, I repeated it out loud several times and yes I was asking God that question - really.
Genesis 15:2 (KJV)
“And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?”
This scripture is a true reflection on when promises meet pain. This single, blunt question from Abram cuts straight to the heart of what it means to live with a promise that hasn’t yet become reality. God had promised Abram descendants, land, and blessing and the bible recounts that Abram had indeed received almost all the promises except the descendants. Abram had no lack whatsoever and for some of us, we would have stopped right there and be thankful for life all day long but not for Abram. God had returned in Genesis 15:2 to re-affirm His promises to Abram and Abram’s immediate response was not a confident “Amen,” but a vulnerable, pointed question: “What will you give me?” He names the painful fact he is childless and the practical consequence: his servant, Eliezer, stands to inherit all that God has blessed him (Abram) with. That honest question he poses to God opens the way for one of the most important exchanges in Scripture about faith, promise, and God’s character.
Rather than rebuking Abram for doubt, God responds (in the verses that follow) by reaffirming the promise: that Abram’s own offspring would be as numerous as the stars. That response leads to a pivotal theological moment: Abram believes in God, and “his faith was counted to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). The story doesn’t erase Abram’s doubt; it frames that doubt within the larger story of God’s faithfulness.
Here are three (3) lessons from Abram’s question:
- Honesty with God is not disqualifying:
Abram speaks plainly about his pain and the practical implications of his situation. The Bible models prayer that names confusion, fear, anger, and grief. God does not require that we hide our doubts. In Abram’s honesty, we find permission to bring our unmet longings and hard questions into God’s presence. - Promise and timing are different things:
God had promised descendants, but the timing and means were not yet present. Waiting between promise and fulfillment is a frequent human experience. This demonstrates that faith is not simply believing a promise in the abstract; it’s trusting God through the uncertainty and discomfort of waiting, even when immediate circumstances point elsewhere. - Faith involves trust, not the absence of questions:
Abram’s next step, believing God’s word about his future offspring, shows that faith can coexist with doubt. Faith here is a posture: receiving God’s assurance and living in relationship with God despite not seeing the evidence yet. It’s less about a flawless inner certainty and more about anchoring yourself in God’s character and promises.
Here's my prayer for you this week, that like Abram, you will name your reality by giving a voice to the hard facts of your life—unanswered prayers, losses, relationships that hurt and dreams delayed. May you be empowered to honestly engage your faith even in the midst of doubt and uncertainty. May the Lord help you to reframe your waiting period as a season of formation and refinement. I pray that that pause between promise and fulfillment will mature us and cause a shift in our priorities. Let this be so and so it is in Jesus’ name. AMEN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena.
Declarations For August 2025
Welcome to the eighth month of the year and it is a great blessing that we are alive and well. Please join me to declare this word of the Lord in Amos 9:13-15 AMPC.
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine and all the hills shall melt [that is, everything heretofore barren and unfruitful shall overflow with spiritual blessing].
14 And I will bring back the exiles of My people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat the fruit of them.
15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be torn up out of their land which I gave them, says the Lord your God.”
And this shall come to pass for us this month in the name of Jesus. AMEN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena.
Human Flourishing
Have you heard of the term Human Flourishing? Well, the first time I heard of it was on July 12, 2025 during my one-on-one conversation with the Most Rev. Prof. J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist. He asserted that God wants us to be faithful servants and also successful people in life and that is called Human Flourishing in Theology. Friends, that is nugget number two (2) as I had promised in my blog dated July 13, 2025 to share with you all. God is not just interested in our service to Him but that He is also interested in our overall success as people.
If you grew up with the kind of mindset about christianity like I did, we were intrinsically wired to think that life in Christ means salvation for your soul while you languish in your sufferings on earth until you get to Heaven. John 16:33 was the buttress for many believers to affirm that Jesus said we will have trouble so let’s endure it any way;
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Even my younger self knew back then that God did not take pleasure in my lack and suffering so I resented that kind of teaching which was made worse by all the suffering and lack I saw around my family and friends who genuinely loved and faithfully served God. It seemed like they had accepted that teaching and it was manifesting in their reality. When I started coming into a deeper walk with Christ and growing in my understanding of scriptures, I learned differently, that God takes no delight to see us living below the standards He has set forth for us. It was a blessing to my spirit to hear the Presiding Bishop echo these sentiments - that God truly wants us to do well and live life to its fullest. In John 10:10, Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." This declaration captures the essence of human flourishing, suggesting that Jesus' mission is not only about spiritual salvation but also about enabling individuals to experience life in its fullest, most abundant form. This fullness of life encompasses not just our spiritual well-being, but also emotional, relational, and even physical dimensions, inviting us (believers), to pursue a balanced and thriving life.
The imagery found in Psalm 1:1-3 further enriches our understanding of flourishing by illustrating a life rooted in divine wisdom and guidance. It describes a person who delights in God's law as "like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers." This metaphor paints a picture of stability, growth, and productivity, suggesting that true flourishing comes from living in harmony with God’s teachings. It implies that when we root ourselves in spiritual and ethical principles, we are able to withstand life’s challenges and bear fruit in all areas of our lives. Ultimately, these biblical insights encourage a holistic approach to flourishing, where spiritual depth and moral integrity pave the way for a vibrant, fruitful existence.
I pray for you this week, that as you diligently pursue God, may He cause you to immensely prosper and flourish in every area of your life. Let it be so and so it is in Jesus’ name. AMEN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena.