Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: Genesis 12:1-2
Covenant, agreement, sacrifice, commitment, and faith; this scripture speaks volumes in regard to these words and about a man called to move out of his country, out of his familiar surroundings and obey the voice of God.
Abraham, like some of us, was not raised in the greatest of homes or environments. God may not have been the focal point, yet, when Abraham he was called (at age seventy), he not only believed God but trusted Him enough to follow Him and His word by faith. He had now faith. Now faith is faith in action; faith that gets up and move; faith that is willing to obey and leave everything behind to journey to an unknown land; come out of our comfort zone, out of our familiar surroundings and have faith that trusts God’s purpose for our life. Even though Abraham could not see it or understand it, he yet moved as God instructed. For we walk by faith and not by sight.
Just as Abraham heard the voice of God, we have to know when He is speaking to us as well. We have to know that when God says, “Move or go, to a place that I will show you”, we have to be willing to move, whether locally or to a land that we do not know. It is in our obedience and in our “yes” that God begins to bless and you’ll begin to see with the natural as God begins to shift, align and change things on your behalf. Also, like Abraham, new life begins when by faith we trust God's Word. Before we (and Abraham), can accept the promises of God, we have to first believe that God is. The scripture says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). Psychology taught me that something positive follows a desired response and acts to encourage desired behavior; which tells me that it will be worth my efforts if I diligently seek the Lord by faith; reinforcing that I am walking in the benefits of God because of my obedience to His word. Can I use a phrase from the young people, “it’s like that?” Yes, it’s just like that.
Abraham's life was changed the minute he said yes. His faith and his trust in God were in action. God is no respecter of persons; what He did for Abraham then, He will do for us now. All God requires is a yes, as well as a willing and obedient spirit. Look at how Abraham's life was changed, just for acting upon God's word. His faith and trust in God set him on a new course for his life; he would become a blessing not only to his family but for people and many generations to come.
It is the same for us who believe and walk in faith; trusting in God's word for our lives. Having that now faith; faith that is moving, breathing and walking in action. We must know that God has called us to a greater purpose and that it is more than just a Sunday affair. He wants us to move from faith to faith and from strength to strength. He desires to see us on the path of service, because we are called to serve. Not to just sit idle and watch from the pews; doing just enough (we think) to get by or comfy in our titles and positions. God is not concerned with those things. What happened to, “I must work the work of Him who sent me, while it is day” (John 9:4) or are we only reading the words in red as just being words spoken by Jesus? I think not, He said, “greater works than these shall we do (John 14:12).” God has purpose for our life. Like Abraham, He wants us to exercise some now faith, putting our faith in action, faith that is going to get up and get busy.
Our lives are changed once we receive the call, so that we can in turn help change lives. You can not accept the call without accepting what goes with it (Rom 1:3-6; 8:28-30). Someone needs to hear our faith story, it may not be as eventful as Abraham's story but it is still a testament of faith. God’s plan for our lives is that we love Him, He intended us to be of service to the body of Christ and to lost souls as we move by faith in Him; go in faith with Him; be in faith for Him.
We are living in a time where we have got to have some “now faith!” The Kingdom of God and souls are at stake. We don’t have time to squander or wonder, no time for thinking, analyzing or questioning … when God says, Go… just go! There is not only a blessing for you, but you will be a blessing to others.
Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
Covenant, agreement, sacrifice, commitment, and faith; this scripture speaks volumes in regard to these words and about a man called to move out of his country, out of his familiar surroundings and obey the voice of God.
Abraham, like some of us, was not raised in the greatest of homes or environments. God may not have been the focal point, yet, when Abraham he was called (at age seventy), he not only believed God but trusted Him enough to follow Him and His word by faith. He had now faith. Now faith is faith in action; faith that gets up and move; faith that is willing to obey and leave everything behind to journey to an unknown land; come out of our comfort zone, out of our familiar surroundings and have faith that trusts God’s purpose for our life. Even though Abraham could not see it or understand it, he yet moved as God instructed. For we walk by faith and not by sight.
Just as Abraham heard the voice of God, we have to know when He is speaking to us as well. We have to know that when God says, “Move or go, to a place that I will show you”, we have to be willing to move, whether locally or to a land that we do not know. It is in our obedience and in our “yes” that God begins to bless and you’ll begin to see with the natural as God begins to shift, align and change things on your behalf. Also, like Abraham, new life begins when by faith we trust God's Word. Before we (and Abraham), can accept the promises of God, we have to first believe that God is. The scripture says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). Psychology taught me that something positive follows a desired response and acts to encourage desired behavior; which tells me that it will be worth my efforts if I diligently seek the Lord by faith; reinforcing that I am walking in the benefits of God because of my obedience to His word. Can I use a phrase from the young people, “it’s like that?” Yes, it’s just like that.
Abraham's life was changed the minute he said yes. His faith and his trust in God were in action. God is no respecter of persons; what He did for Abraham then, He will do for us now. All God requires is a yes, as well as a willing and obedient spirit. Look at how Abraham's life was changed, just for acting upon God's word. His faith and trust in God set him on a new course for his life; he would become a blessing not only to his family but for people and many generations to come.
It is the same for us who believe and walk in faith; trusting in God's word for our lives. Having that now faith; faith that is moving, breathing and walking in action. We must know that God has called us to a greater purpose and that it is more than just a Sunday affair. He wants us to move from faith to faith and from strength to strength. He desires to see us on the path of service, because we are called to serve. Not to just sit idle and watch from the pews; doing just enough (we think) to get by or comfy in our titles and positions. God is not concerned with those things. What happened to, “I must work the work of Him who sent me, while it is day” (John 9:4) or are we only reading the words in red as just being words spoken by Jesus? I think not, He said, “greater works than these shall we do (John 14:12).” God has purpose for our life. Like Abraham, He wants us to exercise some now faith, putting our faith in action, faith that is going to get up and get busy.
Our lives are changed once we receive the call, so that we can in turn help change lives. You can not accept the call without accepting what goes with it (Rom 1:3-6; 8:28-30). Someone needs to hear our faith story, it may not be as eventful as Abraham's story but it is still a testament of faith. God’s plan for our lives is that we love Him, He intended us to be of service to the body of Christ and to lost souls as we move by faith in Him; go in faith with Him; be in faith for Him.
We are living in a time where we have got to have some “now faith!” The Kingdom of God and souls are at stake. We don’t have time to squander or wonder, no time for thinking, analyzing or questioning … when God says, Go… just go! There is not only a blessing for you, but you will be a blessing to others.
Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
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