August 30, 2010 · 3:56 AM
Romans 15:4 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” why do we read scripture? to learn, to know more about HIM, and so that we will have the hope that HE wants us to have. Honestly, there is no place like HOPE.
(Who does not want hope? raise your hand..and I hope you will be okay with me thinking you are my Special person in this study! 😆 )
“God doesn‟t look at outward appearance, God looks at the heart. He looks beyond what man looks at (1 Samuel 16:7).” I had to stop here..and breathe..God Looks At The Heart! Yours, mine, and Abraham’s heart…
Abram (later to be renamed Abraham), 75 years old, and his life was just to begin…
The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household
and go to the land I will show you. “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. I will bless those who bless you, and
whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.” So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him.
Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his
nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in
Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
~Genesis 12:1-5
God picked Abram to father HIS country, HIS people, and made him promises that were incredible. Abram’s faith in God was huge. He believed that GOD could do what HE said.
There are times I struggle with this, I know God can do anything, but taking a step in faith can be terrifying.
What are your thoughts on Abram? Can you imagine hearing God speak, and picking up your family and just going, without knowing where you are going? Don’t we usually want our ducks all in a row? thoughts?
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ponderings of a princess... 
We do (want our ducks in a row and our Stuff). This is powerful. And, as you pointed out, the truth that God looks upon our hearts. His grace. He saw Abram’s heart and chose him to father His nation. Wow. And as we can see, God knew what Abram was and how he would go out on his on over and over and not necessarily do as God said, but God still chose him. It is also true, though, that it was when Abraham was in obedience that God did His biggest things.
On leaving things behind:
Later in Genesis, Lot’s wife apparently could not bear to leave it all behind and looked back. She was turned into a pillar of salt. Trust. It is scary “only” because we put our trust in our physical possessions and surroundings. I personally am really struggling with this right now. And yes, it is difficult, but only because we lose sight of the excitement of the adventure He has planned for us when He wants to transplant us or move us forward in any new direction, not limited to the physical.
Your question very naturally deals with the fears of moving “cold turkey” and that’s a valid issue. I would like to share a couple of other things here as well, though, if I may.
First, Abram’s life did not change until his father died. Genesis 11:32. How often it is that God brings such final events in our lives as the springboard for something bigger He is going to do. We see it as sorrow and bad; He sees it as good. Second, even though God told him to get out of the country, and from his kindred, and from his father’s house, you will notice that the first thing he did was take Lot, his nephew, with him. He got out of the country, he got from his father’s house, but he did not leave his kindred behind.
How often do we do just that? God tells us the direction to go in, we make changes to it, and then set out. And then wonder why things don’t necessarily go well. The obvious issue here is obedience to what God is asking of us; not that we all have to leave our families behind. But, rather, that He will give us direction and we will be blessed if we will fully obey
It was not until he finally separated from Lot, in chapter 13, that God showed him the land He was giving him and gave him the promise that his seed would be as the dust of the earth. I think it is important to point out that leaving his family did not include leaving his wife. They were one; he took her with him. But the real adventure did not actually begin until he did completely as God had told him. This is often difficult.
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well said Charlotte
The faith to go…to move forward with God…no matter the personal loss.
He does have a way of stripping us from all that holds us back from serving Him completely. I’m not really sure what form it will take in my life, but I do know it’s not what I’d hoped. I wanted to satisfy self. Honestly, I think we all want that…it’s the crux of all our struggles (rabbit trail: crux = crucifixion … we’ve been crucified with Christ … self is no longer the point … but as we hold onto self, it becomes the point of crucifixion (the crux) of our struggles … death to self [had to think that one through…sorry])
I’m struggling with the whole death to self and my desires, but I do know it’s the right place to be…even though it doesn’t feel good.
Abe has been in my thoughts so much these days.
Thank you for this, Darla. xo
Michelle i just emailed you from my psalm1473 email..
i love that you wrote all that, and think through anything you want here. Love you!
Genesis 15:6 “And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith….
Funny how when the Lord speaks to Abram, promising great reward, Abram objects because he has no heir, and can not see how it could possibly be done. Welcome to my life…. But the Lord responded by promising that Abram will have a son, and that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars… Just like our God… “Come on, hang in there.. I’ve got a plan…” He believes and the Lord counts him as righteous because of his faith. That is the part I want to so desperately remember in this story and apply to my life. Abram exemplifies a faithful response to our God, the kind we make when we hear the good news of what God has done in Jesus and put our trust in Him. Faith to me is not just believing that something is true, it is putting out trust in that truth, the One who is truth… I’m not sure if that is what you were looking for princess, just some thoughts from my heart tonight, and thanking God for the example of Abram…
Thank you for this study ! =)
Debs, so glad i found your comment! 😆
your comment is right on with the faith and the righteousness that is credited us through faith. (i am not looking for any specific answer, just thoughts from the heart, and you did that well.
thinking that my prayer will be refocused to back to the beginning of my walk with HIM for more faith in HIM, more love for HIM, and a whole lot less of me, thanks for being part of all this! (i miss you so much,…and i made coffee ! ) love and prayers
Love the comments here. Michelle, I also especially loved your rabbit trail on Self. Crux = crucifixion. Very good. Thanks for sharing it. Galatians 2:20 — “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me….”
Thanks, Charlotte. It really did just hit me as I was typing…perfect verse summary you gave there.
🙂
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