What Will You Give Me?

A Reflection for Wednesday, December 10 by Lauren St. Martin

Lectionary reading for 12/10/2025:Psalm 21; Genesis 15:1-18; Matthew 12:33-37; Selected passage for reflection: Isaiah 41:14-20

Read

Genesis 15:1-18 NRSV

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” ² But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” ⁴ But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” ⁵ He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” ⁶ And he believed the Lord, and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

⁷ Then he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” ⁸ But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” ⁹ He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” ¹⁰ He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other, but he did not cut the birds in two. ¹¹ And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

¹² As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. ¹³ Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know this for certain, that your offspring shall be aliens in a land that is not theirs and shall be slaves there, and they shall be oppressed for four hundred years, ¹⁴ but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. ¹⁵ As for yourself, you shall go to your ancestors in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. ¹⁶ And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

¹⁷ When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. ¹⁸ On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates…”

Abraham and Isaac By John August Swanson http://www.johnaugustswanson.com

Reflect

Abraham and Sarah were old by this point. It had been years since God had called them away from their home in Haran. They had traveled far; they had accumulated great wealth. Life was good. But still, something was missing. Abraham and Sarah didn’t have children of their own. They were barren. And yet, God had promised that Abraham would become a great nation, that his descendants would be like the dust of the earth—uncountable, immeasurable. God had promised, and yet, they remained barren.

Theologian Walter Brueggemann talks about barrenness in the Bible as a metaphor. There’s the literal sense of it—that Abraham and Sarah had no progeny. But then there’s the metaphorical sense that children, especially in that culture, represent hope for the future. Through progeny, you are remembered, your work is continued, and your legacy lives on. Barrenness, on the other hand, leaves you without a future. So, barrenness in the larger sense is status quo, stagnation. It’s the feeling that things will never change, that we’re trapped—and it can lead to despair.

So, when God comes again to Abraham in a vision and says, "Don’t be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great," Abraham is a bit exasperated. “What will you give me?” None of it matters if I don’t have children—if I don’t have a future—he seems to say. Where is the fulfillment of your word, God?

If you or someone you love has experienced infertility, you know how painful barrenness can be. Something that happens by accident for some takes years of trying and planning and hoping—not to mention thousands of dollars—for others. But there are other types of barrenness, too. We all have times when we ask, “Where are you in what I’m experiencing, God? In what I’m witnessing? You promised to be with us, you promised that you had a plan for our future, and yet, life feels barren…hopeless.”

Abraham’s question to God, “What will you give me?” is an honest and pained plea. It’s not the nagging of a spoiled child or the plotting of a swindler. Abraham isn’t trying to make a deal here; he’s holding out his bleeding heart to God. And God responds. 

God takes Abraham out under the night sky and tells him to raise his eyes toward the vast heavens: "Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them." Then God says, "So shall your descendants be." The barrenness you feel is not the end of the story; you have a future, a bright and beautiful future.

If you’ve ever been out in the middle of the desert or deep in the woods late at night, you know how awe-inspiring the sky can be. Abraham looked up, and that sign, the majesty of the stars above, it gave Abraham the encouragement he needed. He believed that God would make good on God’s promises. He received the encouragement he needed to take the next faithful step forward. “He believed the LORD, and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.”

As we journey through another Advent, another season of waiting, may we emulate Abraham. May we feel empowered to bring our whole selves before God–especially our doubts and fears and yearning and heartbreak. Especially our barrenness. And as we offer that to God, may we expect a response. 

Even if God doesn’t give you the stars, may God give you exactly what you need to meet this moment, to wait for the fulfillment of God’s promises to you and to all. 

Respond 

What feels barren in your own life or in the world around you? Where do you see and feel stagnation? As Abraham did, take a moment to ask God the question burning in your heart. Then ask God to give you exactly what you need in this moment, expecting God to respond.

Rest 

God of Abraham, God of our forebears in faith, you promise to be with your children, you promise that you have a plan. Hear our questions, accept our doubts, and lead us toward the open sky where we may see the light of your promises shining down upon us. Give us exactly what we need to meet this moment with faith and hope. Amen.

About the Author 

Lauren St. Martin is Associate Pastor of Children, Youth, & Families at First Covenant Church in Seattle, WA. Lauren has an MA in Theology from Fuller Seminary and an editing certificate from the University of Washington. She and her husband love playing RPG tabletop games with friends and walking their two dogs.