The NIV 365 Day Devotional

Encountering God in the Great Outdoors

Years have passed since God’s promise to Abram that he would become “a great nation” (Ge 12:2). Abram has grown old and weary from the wait. Abram openly wonders whether Eliezer—his servant—would receive his inheritance, which unveils his gnawing impatience. He wonders whether God will come through. That is the context for this renewal of God’s covenant promise.

]Notice where God reaffirms his promise to Abram—God “took him outside” (15:5). It was there, under a sprawling canopy of boundless stars, where Abram is reminded of God’s promise.

“Look up at the sky,” God says, “and count the stars—if indeed you can count them” (v. 5). No doubt an impossible task. City lights were foreign to the ancient world. Abram would have seen more stars in the pitch dark than humans have seen for centuries. The vastness of creation rekindled his hope.

Many Christians throughout history have encountered God in the great outdoors: Francis of Assisi was walking through the woods; Brother Lawrence was looking at a tree; Billy Graham was on a hike; C. S. Lewis was in a sidecar along a dusty dirt road. God not only speaks creation into existence; God speaks to people in the presence of creation.

Taken from the NIV Upside-Down Kingdom Bible.