By Wendy Wagoner

I love looking up at the night sky in Tanzania. The countless stars I see at night are truly breathtaking. It can be very difficult at times to live without the modern convenience of power. But on the bright side, there is no artificial lighting to obscure the view of the stars in the dark night sky. The number of stars and the way they twinkle are magnificent. No wonder God used the stars as a visual aid to remind Abram of the great future promise God had in store for him. “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.” Abram trusted God to keep his promise. The faith Abram displayed—even when he didn’t understand the full magnitude of the promise—is an example for God’s people for all generations. 

Our Promise

God’s long-term plans can be difficult to see with the human eye. Abram’s circumstance reminds us that we may not always see the fruits of our labor. My Tanzania view of the stars is my reminder. I can see the Southern Cross at night. The four twinkling stars in the southern hemisphere remind me of God’s promise displayed in Scripture and my commitment to be a disciple who continues to grow in faith. When the sun sets, my eyes feast on the stars and my heart knows in faith that “[God] exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). What in God’s creation reminds you that in all things we are to seek to do his will?

Wendy Wagoner is a CMF Missionary located in Arusha, Tanzania, East Africa ministering in the area of children’s education.