Too Good to be True

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.

 

 Let us live like Abraham did. Let us live by faith in what we do not see.

 

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

 

A Bill of Goods

A Series on God’s Call to Ministry

Genesis 12:1-9

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://classic.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2012%3A1-9&version=NIV;NLT

[Preface: How do you know what your calling in life is? Will you know from a big bang experience? Or will it come quietly, almost imperceptible? Will you be inspired by the stories of a visiting missionary; or a book that opens your eyes to the needs of a specific people group; or from your own life experience? This series is about God’s call to ministry for your life; what it means or doesn’t mean.]

Have you ever felt like somebody sold you a bill of goods? I have. And when it happens, I’m always reminded of something my Dad used to say, “If something sounds too good to be true; it probably is”.

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.
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.”                NIV

These verses in Genesis are titled, “The call of Abram”. However, it seems like the Lord could have sold Abram a “bill of goods”. Now, before you accuse me of being a heretic, think about it for a minute.

Imagine Abram making a list of pros and cons while trying to decide if this is truly God’s will for his life to uproot his family and go to Canaan.

On the con side are all the risk factors: He would have to leave his Father and all his relatives; his home; and all that was familiar to him. He was already a fairly wealthy man and risked losing all of that. Plus he had never visited Canaan and had no idea what the people were like. It was a huge unknown risk.

On the pro side are all the benefits: The Lord’s promises seemed to indicate that he would gain even more wealth, fame, land and descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; enough to become a nation.

On the unknown future side are all the events that waited for Abram: There would be many hardships and tests that Abram would face. These included famine, conflict, decades of infertility and a test of Abram’s faith to sacrifice his only son.

The truth is, none of us knows what the future holds. So, if you believe that the Lord is calling you to do something, don’t be afraid of the risks. Don’t doubt and think that He is trying to sell you a bill of goods. But remember that the Lord is faithful. He loves you and is always with you.

That may sound too good to be true, but it’s not.