A Scriptural Consideration Entry

The sandals of the traveler scraped against the dust of Canaan’s paths. Abraham lifted his gaze toward the stars—too many to count, scattered like diamonds across the night sky. It was here, under this vast and quiet canopy, that Jehovah uttered a staggering promise: “So your offspring will become.” (Gen. 15:5) Abraham believed. And Jehovah, in turn, “counted it to him as righteousness.” No priesthood. No Law. No tablets of stone. Just trust—a full-bodied, resolute trust in Jehovah’s word.

Genesis 15:6

The apostle Paul drew this moment from the ancient scrolls and laid it before his fellow believers with trembling clarity. In a time when some clung to the Law’s rituals, Paul reminded them that Abraham was declared righteous not because of meticulous observance, but because of unshaken faith. Long before circumcision or commandments, Jehovah looked into Abraham’s heart and found belief. That belief—not works of law—was what He approved.

Galatians 3:11

So what does that mean for us, who live far from Ur or Sinai?

It means that a righteous standing with Jehovah is not out of reach. We do not climb to it on a ladder of legal performance or impossible perfection. Instead, we reach it through faith—living, growing, proving faith. This faith is not idle. As James reminds us, it breathes and moves through our actions. (Jas. 2:17-24) It comforts the sick, bears with the weak, holds to honesty, forgives from the heart. These are not “works of law,” but works of love—evidence that our faith is real.

Galatians 5:6

There are days when our shortcomings feel louder than our progress. We may wrestle with guilt, especially when chronic illness, grief, or limitations keep us from doing as much as we wish. But here lies our reassurance: Jehovah sees the inner person. He counts righteousness apart from works—not apart from effort, but apart from merit. He sees what we strive for, not just what we complete. Faith like Abraham’s still finds favor in His eyes.

Psalm 103:13-14

Paul described this beautifully when he wrote that God “counts righteousness apart from works.” (Rom. 4:6) That is not to say that our effort doesn’t matter—but rather that divine approval is never something we earn. It is something Jehovah grants to those who exercise loyal faith, just as Abraham did.

And that, dear reader, is something Jehovah never overlooks.

Hebrews 11:6

Watchtower, December 2023, pp. 3 ¶8; 4–5 ¶10–11

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