A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Genesis 12:1-9; Hebrews 11:8-10
[Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes
of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each
person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations,
Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great
cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on
Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]
My Dad used to
say, “If something sounds too good to be true… it probably is”. Turns out, he
was a pretty smart man. My wife and I enjoy traveling, and in the past we’ve
been a sucker for a sales pitch involving travel.
During a vacation
to Mexico, we were promised a $200 voucher for a day trip of our choice. All we
had to do was sit through a “brief presentation” at a new resort. We were told
the whole thing would take only two hours; no pressure. Four hours later, with
a knot in my stomach, they finally relented to our repeated answer of “NO”!
We’re not the only
ones who are a sucker for a promise. It turns out that Abram was susceptible to
a promise of something that sounded too good to be true. All he had to do was
move to Canaan.
The Lord said to Abram, “Leave
your country, your relatives, and your father's home, and go to a land that I
am going to show you. 2 I will give you many
descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make
your name famous, so that you will be a blessing. NLT
Funny how the Lord
didn’t mention the people who already lived there; who would need to be
displaced in order to inherit the land. Nor did the Lord mention the impending
famine; Abram’s conflict with Lot; having a child with his servant and the
resulting family strife; and, when Abram finally did have a son of his own, the
request to sacrifice him. Yes, it sounded too good to be true.
When I think back
on my own life to when I made my decision to follow the Lord… there were
promises. However, with them, the Lord didn’t tell me that living by faith
would include struggles and sacrifice; pain and suffering. He didn’t tell me
about our still born baby, or the multiple miscarriages; or pulling us out by
the roots from a lifetime in Michigan to move to Ohio.
As believers in
the Living God, we live by faith in His promises, and based on who He is; His
character. You don’t need to know everything that lies ahead. You don’t need to
know about the pain and suffering that the future holds. You don’t need to know
about the temptations and trials that are around the corner.
8 It
was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to
another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without
knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he
reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a
foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same
promise. 10 Abraham was confidently looking forward
to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. NLT
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