Following God requires a life of obedience. Being obedient does not just happen all at once. Our life journey is a process and we are all in different places in our journey. If you are like I am I get frustrated with the process at times when there are delays.
Have you ever been stalled in traffic, trying to be somewhere at a specific time. Or have you made plans to go somewhere or do something and a monkey wrench was thrown in the mix, friends, family, weather or the car breaking down.
What we must realize and be fully aware of that no matter the delay God is still in control and must reign over our lives.
Let’s look at Abraham and draw some applications from his life to help us through our journey.
Hebrews 11:8-10 (NIV)
8 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. 9 By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
This is not the whole story let’s dig a little deeper:
Genesis 12:1-2 (NIV)
The Call of Abram
12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great,
And you will be a blessing.
Look at the words (Had Said) This was Abrams second call by God to the same mission. Read further with me
Acts 7:2-4 (NKJV)
2 And he said, “Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.
Here we read about the first call while Abram was living in the Pagan City of Ur of Chaldees.
God tells Abram to leave his native land his kin and his fathers house. This is not what Abram did. What happened?
Genesis 11:31-32 (NKJV)
31 And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. 32 So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.
The false religion of astrology was practiced there as it was in all Babylonia. Abraham's father, Terah according to Joshua 24:2, worshiped idols. Jewish tradition refers to Terah as an idol maker. Ur was an idolatrous city worshiping many different Gods such as the god of fire, moon, sun and stars. Sin was the name of the chief idol deity of Ur. Ningal, was the wife of the moon-god, Sin, and was worshiped as a mother God in many other cities. Ur was a evil and sinful city as can be seen in the worship practices of the moon-goddess, Ningal. Every female in the city at some time in her life would have to take her turn in serving as a priestess prostitute in the temples.
Scripture says Terah took Abram, which means to lay hold of. I believe Abram was delayed in his call, he was distracted by Life, His Family, and did not receive the encouragement he needed from them. Abram had to learn just as we do how to work through the delays of life.
God understands better than we do about our process and instructs us to Grow.
2 Peter 3:18 (NKJV)
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
Intimacy with God is a process and we must continue to learn and apply God’s word to our lives.
Are you slipping and sliding around in the same old mud? We must hold nothing back, and never hold something so close to our heart that keeps us away from the promises of God.
2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV)
20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
How easy is it to get distracted by life and stray away from what should be our main focus?
One morning a farmer told his wife that he was going out to pick the ripen fruits from his field.
He got off to an early start so he could warm up the truck. It wouldn’t start it was out of gas, so he went to the store to get some. On the way to the store he noticed the pigs weren’t fed. So he proceeded to the corn crib, where he found some sacks of feed. Beside the feed were potatoes that were sprouting. Then when he started for the potatoes, he passed the wood pile and remembered that his wife wanted wood in the house. He started stacking wood and when noon arrived, the frustrated farmer had not even gotten the gas for the truck, let alone to the field. The farmer had never even started the original job because of all the distractions.
Have you ever intended to do something you knew was very important, but found yourself in a similar situation - distracted by many other seemingly important tasks, which kept you from accomplishing your main objective? We must never settle for Haran but move toward Canaan! Abram was distracted by the good and for the moment it kept him from doing his best.
DON’T BECOME DISTRACTED IN LIFE AND MISS DOING YOUR BEST FOR GOD! Now is the time to obey! Today is the day of Salvation!
Eleanor Roosevelt said “One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And, the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility”
Not until Abrams second calling following the death of his father did he start to get it right. Abrams faith was based on God’s revelation to him and our faith must be also based on revelation!
Romans 10:17 (KJV)
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The more we read and study the more God’s will is revealed to us. Abrams faith was a growing faith as seen in scripture and demonstrated at different points in his life.
Genesis 20:2 (NKJV)
2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And A-bim-elech king of Ge-rar sent and took Sarah.
Abraham was only telling a half-truth. Sarah was in fact his half sister.
Genesis 20:12 (NIV)
12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife.
His faith was still growing when he questioned God about having children
Genesis 15:2-3 (NIV)
2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
Abraham's sin was that he was not trusting God. He had believed the promises of God, yet he waned in trusting God in the everyday affairs of life. He thought he was acting wisely. It appears he did not take into account what God had promised him. Part of God’s promise was to bless them that bless Abraham and curse them that cursed him. God had unconditionally promised to protect him.
Don’t settle for good and miss God! God was patient with Abraham, It should be noted that in the New Testament, there is no reference to Abraham's sin. He is presented as an example of faith to be followed. We are not to follow in Abraham's failures, but should pattern our lives after his faith. God forgave him, and greatly used him.
Abraham had faith even against hope and they were able to conceive!
He had faith that God would raise Isaac from the dead so he offered him as commanded!
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Where are you in your journey today? God calls you to a life of faithful growing obedience. Are you in need of answering His call?
