Next week I'm teaching Vacation Bible School (VBS) at church. I'm teaching the 6-7 year olds. I was typing out the stories that I will tell, and wouldn't you know it...one of them was about Abraham and Sarah. I told this story three years ago. It didn't affect me then as it does now. At that time we were still trying to prevent pregnancy. It's interesting how a few years can change your perspective.

Story - "The King Is Coming"

What a hot day it was in the desert! (Fan yourself with your hand.) Abraham looked out at all the animals walking across the sand. (Slap your thighs with your hands softly and encourage the children to copy you.)

He remembered how God had told him to leave his home and his friends and go to a land that God would show him. Now he was on his way. His wife and some helpers went with him. Some of the people rode on camels while others walked. They had brought all the things that belonged to them including dogs, goats, sheep, and camels. Some of the camels had food and tents tied to their backs. It was dusty and noisy with all those animals. (Stop slapping and tell the children to stop.)

After a long time traveling, Abraham and his wife, Sarah, came to the land that God had told them about. They pounded sticks in the ground to hold up their tent. (Hammer your fists together.) They were happy in their new home except for one thing. They wished they had a baby, but they had no children at all.

One day God said, "Look as far as you can in every direction." (Shade your eyes with your hand.) "All the land that you see belongs to you. It will also belong to your children and grandchildren."

Abraham was glad that God loved him and gave him this wonderful promise, but Abraham had a question. "I don't have even one child," he thought. "I am getting old and so is my wife. How can the land belong to my children and their children?"

Then one night God took Abraham outside the tent and showed him the stars. "Can you count them, Abraham?" God asked. (Hold up a picture of the night sky.)

There were so many stars in the sky that Abraham couldn't begin to count them. As Abraham looked up, God made a wonderful promise to him. "Your children will have children, they will have children, and they will have more children until there are so many people in your family that no one will be able to count them."

This promise reminded Abraham of a promise God had made when he first spoke to Abraham. God had promised that through Abraham's family he would bring help to the whole world. God had a plan in mind that would fulfill both his promise to Adam and Eve and his promise to Abraham. After many, many years a special baby would be born into Abraham's great family. That baby would come to save God's people from their sins.

I'm sure every time Abraham saw the stars, he wondered how and when God would keep all his promises. Many days passed, and still Sarah did not have a baby. One day three visitors (Hold up three fingers) stopped to see Abraham at his tent home. He and Sarah prepared a big meal to feed them.

At first Abraham didn't know who the visitors were. Then he realized they were sent from God. One of the men told Abraham that in just one year Sarah would have a baby boy.

All that year they got ready for the new baby. Finally, a fine baby boy was born to Abraham and Sarah. (Hold up picture of a baby.) How happy they were!

They thanked God for the son he had given them. They praised God and thanked him for keeping his promise to them.

Abraham's children and their families did become too many to count. And our Lord Jesus was born many years later into Abraham's family. He would die to take away our sins - just as God had promised.