Have you ever found yourself really struggling in your faith?
If so, you have something in common with Abram. In spite of God’s powerful promises and constant provision for his needs, Abram was struggling to believe that God’s promises would materialize. God had already promised that Abram would “become the father of a great nation” (Gen. 12:2). However, after ten years (16:3), Abram was growing impatient (15:2-3).
Even though the Lord reassured Abram of his promises, Abram decided to take matters into his own hands. This led to Abram fathering a child with Hagar. Clearly, in the chapters we have read today, Abram was struggling with the Lord’s timing.
Are you struggling like Abram? Trust in the Lord’s timing. Exercise patience and remember what the Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah, “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).
In our church, we sing a song with that line it. As I think about what God asked Abram to do I thought about that song. Like many of you, I am prone to sing worship music without allowing the meaning of the words to sink in. Abram, as he was known at this point, embodied what this song is all about. God gave Abram a directive to go to a foreign land. He didn’t ask Abram to go or if he even wanted to go. God commanded Abram to go.
Amazingly enough, Abram responded in faith and obeyed God’s command. Genesis 12:1 reveals some of the magnitude of this move, “leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s house…” Basically God told Abram to abandon all that he knew – every source of security and comfort and to stake his whole life on God.
It is hard to imagine a greater example of faith. If God were to tell you to go, would you go? Are you willing to step out in faith and stake your life on God and his promises? May you have faith like Abram to do just that.
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