“Abram played the blame game with God: ‘What can you give me since I remain childless?’ Is it just me, or does that sound passive-aggressive? It’s not Your fault — but it is. Abram was throwing a pity party inside his tent when God . . . took Abram on a two-foot field trip that changed the trajectory of his life.”- Mark Batterson
“The LORD took Abram outside and said to him, ‘Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have.’ “- Genesis 15:5 (NIV)
As Mark Batterson moves on in Chapter 1 of A Million Little Miracles, he observes that God blessed Abram in many ways. Yet Abram fixated on the one thing God had not done. Hence, Mark interprets this as a function of negativity bias. A bias Mark sees as a by-product of the curse.
And, like Abram, we tend to complain about what God hasn’t done. Rather than thank Him for His many blessings. So, God put the kibosh on Abram’s in-tent pity party and took him on a two-foot field trip. Consequently, Pastor Batterson offers these comments on Genesis 15:5. He notes:
“It’s easy to read right over what happened, but this was a defining moment. Notice Abram was inside the tent one minute and outside the next. What difference did that make? As long as Abram was inside his tent, he was staring at an eight-foot ceiling. The second he stepped outside? The sky was the limit.
God was saying, in no uncertain terms, ‘Quit putting an eight-foot ceiling on what I can do! Quit putting manmade ceilings on my sovereignty! It’s never too little, and it’s never too late.’ ”
In conclusion, Mark mentions a phenomenon in science called the three-day effect. Because it takes three days in the wild to reset your brain. Furthermore, one’s ability to problem-solve escalates. So does inductive reasoning. It’s easier to think outside the box when you get out of the tent. And you begin to notice everyday miracles!
Today’s question: When did you last take a two-foot field trip? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “”Domesticating or discipling?”