Abram's Journey
In Genesis 12 Abram takes his wife Sarai, Lot his nephew, and all the possessions they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran and went forth as the Lord had spoken to him and headed out on a long journey. As they moved from Ur of the Chaldeans to Haran and then to Canaan, they would have covered 1,100 miles as the crow flies. God's call of Abram is much like the call He gives each one of us, He does not call us out in groups, but individually along a pathway on Earth He has charted for us. Psalms 37:23 states that "The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way." God summons Abram to go forth from his country, from his relatives, and from his father's house. Does not Jesus tell us much the same thing? Math.19:29,"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life."
Hebrews 11:8,"By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing where he was going" God so sends us out in much the same way, and we must follow by faith as Abram did. True obedience is content to have the necessary order for the duty at hand. The obedience of faith, as Paul mentions in Romans 1:5, and 16:26, Abram showed unquestioning obedience to the command to go forth, as the Lord had spoken to him. Commentator Alexander MacLaren,"Observe that faith, which is the reliance on a person and therefore trust in His word, passes into both forms of confidence, in that word as promise, and obedience to that word as command." Let us have confidence in His promises and let us have obedience toward His commands.
Do we delight in the commandments of the Lord as much as we delight in His promises? If we take and accept some of God's words, we must take and accept all of His words. There is no faith without obedience and there is no obedience without faith. Either our faith will separate us from the world, or the world will separate us from our faith in God. In faith, we must keep putting one foot down in front of the other. We will reach heaven, not in one grand leap, but in many small steps, and the Lord will not allow our steps to slip, He who watches over you will not slumber, indeed He who watches over Israel will neither slumber or sleep, The Lord will keep you from all harm, He will watch over your life, indeed the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."(Psalm 121:3-4,7-8)
The great lesson Abram teaches us is Col.3:1-4," Keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, set your mind on the things above, not on things that are on earth." We must keep up our communion with the Lord, Jude 21,"Keeping ourselves in the love of God." The ESV study bible states doing this "By growing strong doctrinally, persevering in prayer, and waiting for the Lord's coming." Practicing the presence of God, devoting some time with Him every day, having an attitude of continual thanksgiving and rejoicing. MacLaren states, "To him that shall be given, and he who has followed the unseen Guide through dimly discerned paths to an invisible goal, will be gladdened when he reaches the true Canaan, by the sight of Him whom, having not seen, he loved." Keep on fighting the good fight of faith!
Elder Randy Slak
Hebrews 11:8,"By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing where he was going" God so sends us out in much the same way, and we must follow by faith as Abram did. True obedience is content to have the necessary order for the duty at hand. The obedience of faith, as Paul mentions in Romans 1:5, and 16:26, Abram showed unquestioning obedience to the command to go forth, as the Lord had spoken to him. Commentator Alexander MacLaren,"Observe that faith, which is the reliance on a person and therefore trust in His word, passes into both forms of confidence, in that word as promise, and obedience to that word as command." Let us have confidence in His promises and let us have obedience toward His commands.
Do we delight in the commandments of the Lord as much as we delight in His promises? If we take and accept some of God's words, we must take and accept all of His words. There is no faith without obedience and there is no obedience without faith. Either our faith will separate us from the world, or the world will separate us from our faith in God. In faith, we must keep putting one foot down in front of the other. We will reach heaven, not in one grand leap, but in many small steps, and the Lord will not allow our steps to slip, He who watches over you will not slumber, indeed He who watches over Israel will neither slumber or sleep, The Lord will keep you from all harm, He will watch over your life, indeed the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."(Psalm 121:3-4,7-8)
The great lesson Abram teaches us is Col.3:1-4," Keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, set your mind on the things above, not on things that are on earth." We must keep up our communion with the Lord, Jude 21,"Keeping ourselves in the love of God." The ESV study bible states doing this "By growing strong doctrinally, persevering in prayer, and waiting for the Lord's coming." Practicing the presence of God, devoting some time with Him every day, having an attitude of continual thanksgiving and rejoicing. MacLaren states, "To him that shall be given, and he who has followed the unseen Guide through dimly discerned paths to an invisible goal, will be gladdened when he reaches the true Canaan, by the sight of Him whom, having not seen, he loved." Keep on fighting the good fight of faith!
Elder Randy Slak