Abraham–the man of faith
October 24, 2004 | 12:00am
"But Abraham never doubted...He praised God for his blessing even before it happened. He was completely sure that God was well able to do anything He promised." - Romans 4:20-21 The Living Bible
Frankly, there isn’t anything really new under the sun. The struggles and battles that you wage are much the same as those which were fought in the hearts of men and women who lived centuries ago. "Okay," you may be asking, "then can we learn anything from those who have been on the playing field before us?" Good question. The answer is an unqualified, "Yes!"
Take a man revered by Jews, Moslems, and Christians alike–Abraham.
God made a promise to Abraham, "You will have a son!" Good news to anyone who looks longingly at other fathers whose little boys hunt and fish with them. But that promise was challenged by society, by his biological nature, and by spiritual forces as well.
Anytime you make the decision that Abraham made, to follow God categorically and completely, the world, your nature, and the devil will all challenge you. Here’s how it worked for Abraham, and how God met him at the point of his doubt and failure.
First, the promise of a son was challenged by biology. After all, Abraham was an old man. His wife was also an old woman, way past the normal years for child-bearing. Do you believe in the impossible? God, of course, scoffs at the impossible. That word isn’t in the dictionary that is used in heaven. He who made the rules has no problem setting them aside and doing what the world believes cannot happen.
The second factor that challenged the promise of a son was society. It’s here that Abraham demonstrated how completely human he was. "If you are going to have a son," says Sarah, "then you had better take my maid and let her be the mother of the child." Not bad, thinks Abraham, seeing how he could help solve his dilemma and save God’s honor. This, of course, was how Abraham had a son by Hagar. Resist the temptation to help God out. It almost always compounds the problem.
Finally, Abraham waged a spiritual battle as well. He doubted God. "Me–a father at a hundred years old? Who would believe such a preposterous story?"
In His time God kept His word, precisely and completely. Simple obedience, no matter what your heart or your emotions may tell you, is necessary at the level of daily life. It requires the commitment of simple faith. - Resource Reading: Ephesians 6:10-18
Frankly, there isn’t anything really new under the sun. The struggles and battles that you wage are much the same as those which were fought in the hearts of men and women who lived centuries ago. "Okay," you may be asking, "then can we learn anything from those who have been on the playing field before us?" Good question. The answer is an unqualified, "Yes!"
Take a man revered by Jews, Moslems, and Christians alike–Abraham.
God made a promise to Abraham, "You will have a son!" Good news to anyone who looks longingly at other fathers whose little boys hunt and fish with them. But that promise was challenged by society, by his biological nature, and by spiritual forces as well.
Anytime you make the decision that Abraham made, to follow God categorically and completely, the world, your nature, and the devil will all challenge you. Here’s how it worked for Abraham, and how God met him at the point of his doubt and failure.
First, the promise of a son was challenged by biology. After all, Abraham was an old man. His wife was also an old woman, way past the normal years for child-bearing. Do you believe in the impossible? God, of course, scoffs at the impossible. That word isn’t in the dictionary that is used in heaven. He who made the rules has no problem setting them aside and doing what the world believes cannot happen.
The second factor that challenged the promise of a son was society. It’s here that Abraham demonstrated how completely human he was. "If you are going to have a son," says Sarah, "then you had better take my maid and let her be the mother of the child." Not bad, thinks Abraham, seeing how he could help solve his dilemma and save God’s honor. This, of course, was how Abraham had a son by Hagar. Resist the temptation to help God out. It almost always compounds the problem.
Finally, Abraham waged a spiritual battle as well. He doubted God. "Me–a father at a hundred years old? Who would believe such a preposterous story?"
In His time God kept His word, precisely and completely. Simple obedience, no matter what your heart or your emotions may tell you, is necessary at the level of daily life. It requires the commitment of simple faith. - Resource Reading: Ephesians 6:10-18
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