I am currently reading through the book of Genesis. And right now I am reading about the life of Abram as he was known before God changed his name to Abraham. He has always been one of my favorite old testament characters. I have always found his faith and trust in God to be inspiring. This morning I was reading in Genesis 12where God comes to Abram and says "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you." Crazy stuff right off the bat. Abram's entire life was grounded and centered in his home land of Ur of the Chaldeans. Yet in a moment his entire world is flipped upside down. He has to make a decision to let go of all that he had found his security in and follow God. Now there was a great promise given to Abram from God...
"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 the people on earth will be blessed through you."
Now I would say that is a huge promise given to him by God. But the fact still remains it required some things of Abram. I believe that God is going to do some amazing things this year in the life of our church, in the lives of our people and in me and my family as well. But as I read and meditated on this passage this morning the Lord showed me some principles that I need to keep in mind if I truly want to see God's plans for my life come to fruition.
#1. Faith must be put into action...Abram had to obviously step out in faith. He had to be willing to let go of the things he found security in and place his life in God's hand. Remember God said I want you to leave your country, your friends, your home, everything. Basically God was looking for full surrender. We see in verse 4 that it states that "Abram went, as the Lord had told him;" I love that. No delay, just immediate obedience. When God speaks there must be a response from us. God doesn't reveal His heart and will for our entertainment, but for our benefit, obedience and His glory. If we are going to get to the place God has called us to or achieve the things He has placed on our hearts, its going to have to start with faith that leads to movement. We must be willing to live a "no safety net life", a life that rest in the fact that He who has called me is faithful to see me all the way through to the other side.
#2. The journey and the vision that God calls us to is one of worship...I think we sometimes confuse worship with just being the songs we sing in church. That is only a small piece of worship. Worship is my entire life lived in response to God. Worship is giving God the honor He is due. Worship is recognizing that there is a force much greater than me that is worthy of my life, devotion, gratitude and attention. Throughout this journey that Abram is on you will read this statement "So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord."Abram never allowed the vision to overshadow the One who had given him the vision. Abram remembered that as great as the promise was, the One who had made the promise was and is much greater. Sometimes we can become so fixed on God's plan that we fail to acknowledge God and worship God through the journey. If we are not careful the very promise and plans of God can become the idols that keep us from Him. It is important that we recognize that God is and will forever be our greatest need, our greatest joy and our greatest delight so therefore we must make sure that daily God remains our greatest pursuit.
#3. The plans that God has for us stretch a lot further than us...In God's promise to Abram He states "and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." What God wants to do in us and through us stretches much further than we can imagine. Our faith today and our undivided worship of God can be blazing a trail for generations to come. I know that may sound crazy, but just imagine this for a second. My faith and life of worship today will have an impact on my wife, my children and my friends. My obedience to God's call and His Truth will affect the lives of those I am intimate with. Leaving a legacy of faith is just as important if not more important than leaving a will. Don't minimize the fact that what you are doing today in the realm of obeying and worshipping God will echo loudly long after you are gone.
Just another rambling, but I pray that you are expecting God-sized things in this new year of 2009. And as you seek those things remember some of these principles, they may serve you well. God Bless.
No comments:
Post a Comment