Abram—AKA Abraham—had an advantage over us in one way, and we have the advantage over him in another way.
Where Abraham has the advantage over us is that God spoke directly to him—as we see in today's verse and those following it.
Abraham put questions to the Lord about his future, and what was specifically upsetting to him regarding the lack of an heir to his property.
God then addressed the difficulty with a clear answer.
He told Abraham that he would live to have a son, and the generations coming from that son would be greater in number than the stars.
All of us, in searching for the will of the Lord, sometimes wish for a clear answer to our own questions. If only we could ask a specific question and get an answer in a moment!
However, we do have advantages over Abraham.
One advantage is the fact that we have the Bible from which to hear the voice of God. We're told that the Bible is a complete guide to life.
In Psalm 119:99 we read "I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes." (NIV)
Also—as believers—we have the Holy Spirit to guide us into all the truth of Scripture (John 16:13).
Sometimes we may not want to hear that truth.
I recall a Christian telling me that he wished the Lord would answer his prayers and tell him if he should or should not marry a certain person he was dating. My response was that God won't tell us to marry this person instead of that one, but He has told us not to marry outside the faith (2 Corinthians 6:14).
I assured him that God had told him who not to marry, and that should have been a clear enough message for him to stop dating this particular person. He didn't like my answer, disobeyed the Word of God, and married an unbeliever.
He was foolish to seek a whisper in his ear from the Lord, and he paid the price.
Be sure to study the Bible and use it as your guide to the complexities of life.
While God doesn't tell us to buy a green car instead of a silver one, He has told us how to properly manage our assets and that is answer enough.
Make your Bible a flashlight to shine on the path of obedience and you will be blessed by the Lord.