Tested Faith
The Call of Abram
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go 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.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."
4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Tommy's Thoughts:
In today’s passage, we see how Abram, who willingly obeyed God’s command, even to give up his home for God’s promise of greater blessings in the future. In the same way, there are times God calls us to forsake certain things in our lives that hinder our spiritual progress and draw our heart away from God; so that He can bring greater blessings to our lives.
We will not grow or even survive spiritually without regularly renewing our love and loyalty to God by doing what He wanted us to do.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for all Your tests that strengthen and renew me. Forgive me for not seeing this at times when I’m so preoccupied with my temporal pursuits. Teach me to remember this always, be ready and willing to go where You ask me to and to obey all Your commands. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, Amen.
Bee's Thoughts:
Abram's faith in God is tested when he had to leave the place and people familiar to him for good (v1). Likewise, when we are in our comfort zone, there is little chance for us to exercise our faith and reliance on God. God may test us to see if we are willing to go where he wants us to go.
When there is an instruction from God to follow there is also the reward when we obey by faith. Just like in Abram's case God blessed him and made him the father of all nations when he obeyed by faith, though he couldn't see his future (v2 & 3).
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." (Hebrew 11:1, 2)
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the reminder that I need to have faith in You at all times. At times, problem at work might made me lose heart, yet in those times teach me to trust that You have full control of situations.
I pray too for my "bf" that he will have faith in You for his future, that You will make all things beautiful for him in Your time.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
