Old Testament Heroes – Abrahm
And now, for something completely different – This series,
which may take us well into July, will be a change of pace from the forgiveness
series. I will try to make the
reflections a bit shorter and I’ll encourage you to read more about the heroes
in the Bible itself. So here we go. Our
first hero is Abraham (first called Abrahm).
Genesis 12:1-3
- “The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your
relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show
you. I will make you into a great
nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to
others. I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be
blessed through you.”
All three major world religions
revere Abraham as a patriarch of their tradition. He is praised for his great faith. In this snippet from Genesis, we see him
being called to leave his country for a land he knows nothing about. When I really think about that, I’m floored. The closest experience I have to that is being
an itinerant preacher, I have on a few occasions now, been sent to a place I didn’t
know. That was actually the case in
being sent to Hernando, where I am now.
But that’s hardly comparable to being asked by God to pick up your
family and go to a completely different country. I know I can be sent anywhere in
Florida. Wherever I go, it’s still Florida.
Abraham was not even told at this
point where he was going. The promises
were amazing, but the sacrifices being asked for were real. We celebrate Abraham’s faith but do we have
Abraham’s faith?
A theme throughout Abraham’s life
Is that God was always calling him to deeper faith. This is true of us as well. God loves you completely right where you are
right now. However, because God loves
you, God is calling you forward in your faith.
There is never a time when that is not true.
Question: What is God
asking you to do right now that makes you uncomfortable?
Further reading:
Genesis 12-14
Prayer: God help me
be clear about what you are asking me to do right now. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for those who are crippled by fear right now.
Song: Phil Keaggy –
Abraham
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