By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:8
Abraham, the father of many nations. How much about Abraham do you know? God highly esteemed Abraham and spoke of him often. Abraham had times of serious doubt and made some foolish mistakes, yet he had a history of faith. Remember, the bible figures are human, just like you and me. So with that being said, when we are in doubt or making mistakes, we can still allow God to testify to our faith. Thank you, Jesus!
Read Hebrews 11:8-10. What was Abraham’s initial faith action? What were some of the obvious challenges confronted in his act of obedience as described in these verses? Read Genesis 12:1. What did God tell Abraham to do? God told Abraham to leave his country. How can you relate to this in your walk with God? Has he asked you to leave your comfort zone?
Let’s compare Hebrew 11:9 and 2 Corinthians 5:1-8. We all have earthly promise lands here on earth, but we also have been assigned to live in Heaven. Earth is ultimately not our home. One of Abraham’s tests that can challenge us is time. Why is time so important?
Time can test almost anything and anyone. Sometimes we obey God and “go” where he tells us to go. Then when we get to where he wants us, we doubt that we heard correctly. Have you been there before? I have too many times. However, this might be right where your test is at. We are right where God has put us, and it makes no sense until later. Only time can make a difference in our lives. It is how we respond to those times in good or bad situations. We can either let God’s time heals us, or we can let bitterness settle in. God uses the time to prepare, teach, equip, and mature us.
Read 1 Corinthians 3:6-10. What do these verses describe? Our lives build on the Faithfulness of believing generations that came before us as those after us will build their faith from ours.
As we watch others around us in their journey with God operating effectively in their promised land and we still feel that we are feeling like aliens with where we are at, wondering if we misunderstood; does this leave you frustrated? Comparing can be a deadly thing to do in our walk with God, and personally, it is a waste of our time. Do you feel that you are in the right place or the wrong place concerning God’s present will for your life? Does Abraham’s example help at all?
Read Galatians 4: 1-2. This passage gives a wonderful principle to helps us understand the time gap between obeying now and receiving later. What do you think these verses are saying?
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your guidance. Thank you for the time – time to teach us, and equip us for what you are asking us to do for your kingdom.
In Jesus Name
Amen
