walking in faith

It seems like I have speaking with several people about God's will and faith lately.

So, I thought I might share with you a few thoughts along this line - from the life of Abraham.

Abraham was a man who walked by faith.

Faith is not something we learn from a book - it is something we learn from life.

Living life.  Walking through the circumstances and choices of life.

And that can be "exciting" because life is full of stress and twisting turns.  (Although some days I could use a little less excitement).

Abraham is 75 years old - and God comes and tells him to leave Ur, his homeland.  And Abraham responded in the following ways.

He responded with his ears.

God comes to him in Genesis 12:1 and says, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you."

The voice of God speaks - and Abraham listens. 

Notice that God did not qualify his words to Abe, he doesn't tell him why he is to leave his homeland (his membership at the Country Club, his season tickets to the White Sox, his friends and family).  God doesn't explain his will, but he does give promises to His will.

In verses 2 and 3 he states, "I will, I will, I will."  "Won't show you where you are going or why, but I will take care of you."

More important than the end result of knowing God's will is the process of resting in His presence and knowing that He will take care of us.

God says, "you leave, and I will bless".  Nothing more, nothing less.

Abe has an ear for God's voice.

I have people asking me all the time, "why"?  "What".  God is never as concerned about the "Why" and the "What" but about the "who".....who will be with you during this time.  God will.

What do we do?  We get the pros and the cons and the positives on one side and the negatives on the other and we get advice and counsel (and all of that is great and good), but sometimes God just asks us to do something(s) that don't make sense.

We have to have spiritual ears to hear God.

The world says, "show me and I will believe".  God says, "Believe and I will show you."

The world says, "I've got to see it to believe it."

God says, "No, no, in the Christian world you've got to believe it and then see it."

Abe also responded with his eyes.

Hebrews 11:9 states, "By faith he made his home in the promised land....for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."

In other words, he had eyes of faith. 

Others were measuring the immediate and the temporary, Abe was measuring the long term and the eternal.

He "saw" something that no one else could see.

I have found myself in that position, many, many times.

I see a sanctuary being built for 2300 people.  I see us buying property next door to us.  I see our Upward Basketball ministry reaching out to over 450 kids on a Saturday.

I see....and when I share this I get sympathetic nods and "knowing" smiles.  People thinking inside, "you poor boy."  "You've lost your mind."

I've seen that "look" all of my adult ministry.

Faith says I see what others cannot or choose not to see.

Then notice Abe's feet.

Hebrews 11:8 says, "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

He went by faith and not by his feelings.

Someone once wrote, "Faith is not believing in spite of the evidence, faith is obeying in spite of the circumstances."  I would add, faith is obeying in spite of the circumstances on the outside and the feelings on the inside.

I encourage all of us to not walk by our feelings but to walk by faith.

I trust I have encouraged you today.....just some thoughts for a Thursday.