Tag Archives: hope

September 25, 2012 · 5:59 AM

God’s Faithfulness

I’m not sure why I am constantly surprised by the goodness of God. There are times where I am just caught off guard at His faithfulness. I look at my life and I see all of my short comings and wonder why God would choose to bless me and to pour out His love on me. I know that I am unworthy of any gift that He gives, yet He still opens up the windows of Heaven and pours them out.

I think that’s one of the areas where it is hard to understand God because our minds try to rationalize Him as a human with human behaviors. We know the we are spiteful and hold grudges and we expect Him to. When He doesn’t, it blows our mind. I love how the psalmist put it in Psalm 36:5 when he said that His unfailing love is as vast as the heavens and His faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. It is so deep and so wide that we can’t begin to understand it.

I always want to rationalize it and understand it rather than to accept it and abide in it. I want to break it down and figure it out instead of just trusting in it. I think David understood it. He knew of the power that God has to forgive and forget. He relied on it and knew he was in trouble without it. You wonder how can an adulterous murderer like himself be a man after God’s own heart? Well it’s because he understood God’s ability to forgive and to forget.

It’s beyond me how He does it. I try to be a man after God’s heart and I fall short. I seek to be like Him and I find I’m more like myself. I try to do what He asks and I end up doing what I want. I start off working hard to please Him, but in the end, I do what pleases me. That’s where God’s faithfulness kicks in. II Timothy 2:13 says in the Amplified version that even if we are unfaithful and untrue to Him, He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself.

How is that possible? How can God remain faithful and true to us when all we seem to do is our own thing rather than His? It’s who God is. He is a God who loves us more than our doubts, our mistakes, our short comings and our fears. He is patient and kind. His love knows no end and is not conditional. He is not human and is not limited like we are. Once we remove those human characteristics of who we think He is and accept His divine nature, we can begin to get a glimpse of who He really is.

There were several in the Bible like David and Paul who got a glimpse of that. I don’t think it is reserved for just them though. God wants to open Himself up to you and me and to give us a glimpse of who He is. We fight and push back because we are unworthy. I think that when we finally realize how unworthy we really are though is when He has us right where He wants us to show His faithfulness and love. Don’t push back away from it. Swim in that river of his love that is as high as the clouds and is as vast as the heavens. Accept that you aren’t worthy and trust in His love for you anyway.

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September 12, 2012 · 7:14 AM

Removing Your Training Wheels

I remember when I was five years old. My grandmother bought me a bike. I absolutely loved it. I rode it up and down the driveway, across the street and to the neighbor’s house. I can still hear the training wheels scuff the ground and make popping sounds as they crushed sand and went over rocks. There came a day though when my dad had to remove the training wheels. They started to become something that slowed me down rather than to speed up.

Dad held onto the back of my banana seat and ran with the bike as I pedaled. I felt just as safe with him there as I did with the training wheels. I realized that I was going faster than I ever had with training wheels on. You could see my smile clear across Texas as I pedaled. Then, I looked back to see if my dad was enjoying it as much as I did. When I saw him way behind me, not holding on anymore, I got scared, panicked and wrecked. We tried again and again until I realized I could do it.

I think God does that with us. When we are new in our faith, we have training wheels. We take it slowly, but we have movement and freedom like never before once we believe. But there comes a time when we have to exercise our faith. The training wheels have to come off and we have to trust God fully. It can be scary when you are being grown. We might even fall a couple of times. The disciple Peter did.

Jesus removed the training wheels from the disciples after thy had been with him for some time. He put them in a boat and told them to sail across the Sea. He would meet them on the other side. He let go of the boat and let them sail on their own. It should have been no big deal since many were fisherman. When a storm came, they began to panic because they were all alone.

Jesus came walking to them on the water and said, “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here.” Just like a parent after their kid’s initial wreck on the bike, Jesus came to them to calm them down and to help them. After the encouragement, Peter decides he’s ready to try again. He steps out of the boat and begins to exercise his faith. I’m sure you could see his smile all across Galilee as he realized he was doing it. About that time, he panicked and started to sink. Jesus helped him up and they continued to walk on water.

Our faith never really grows until we exercise it. God allows opportunities in life to trust Him and to build our faith. Just because it feels like He has let go and is allowing you to pedal, doesn’t mean He isn’t watching you or is right there to help you if you crash. We all crash. We all fall. It’s what we do after that that matters. Are you willing to get back on the bike? Are you willing to step out of the boat even in a storm to trust God and to exercise your faith?

He’s watching you, cheering you on and calling out to you, “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here.” He hasn’t left you or forsaken you and He never will. Like a good parent, He helps you grow and do more than you ever thought you could. There are times when He is running behind you, holding onto the banana seat of your life helping you along. Then there are times when He lets go and cheers you on. Wherever you are in life, know that He is with you and growing you because He knows what is best for you.

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August 28, 2012 · 7:14 AM

Why I’m burnt out on religion

I’ve seen first hand what the effects of religion are. I’ve seen people who are forced to follow strict guidelines or risk being shunned by their community. I’ve watched people mutilate their body in hopes of paying some kind of penance. People do a lot of unnecessary things to themselves and to others all in the name of religion. It’s very sad to see.

Religion often seeks to control others. It uses rules and regulations to force people into doing things in order to earn their way into the afterlife. By keeping people guessing about their assurance of their salvation, they can manipulate them into doing whatever they ask. People comply and the follow in the name of this or in the name of that, but really it’s in the name of whoever is trying to control them by fear.

Jesus did not come to bring fear or to control you. It’s just the opposite. II Timothy 1:7 says that God has given us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind. He gives us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind, we won’t be controlled or manipulated by religions that seek to do that. Even in Christianity there are those who seek to manipulate and control through fear.

In Galatians 5:1, it says that it was for freedom that Christ set us free. Jesus didn’t die on the cross so you could be bound by religion and the rules that come along with it. He came to bring freedom from religion. He knew that the only way to have a true follower is if it were by choice. He wants to have a relationship, not a dictatorship.

Another thing that religion does is to condemn people. Condemnation uses shame and judgement to make someone feel bad. By using condemnation, religion seeks to elevate itself by tearing down those who follow it. Those who are under condemnation can never be good enough or do enough. They can never be sure of their salvation, but they keep trying in hopes of making it when they die.

Jesus said in John 3:17 that He did not come to condemn the world, but that through Him, the world might be saved. Where religion brings condemnation, Christ brings salvation. His message was not Hell, fire and brimstone. It was love, compassion and forgiveness. He desires to spend eternity with His creation and made a way for that to happen by paying the high cost of giving His life for you.

Religion also seeks to make you conform. It wants to make you conform into its image, not God’s. It doesn’t want you to be who God made you to be, it wants you to be who they think you should be. When you lose who you are, you are more likely to blindly follow their rules. As mentioned before, Jesus wants you to be free.

He wants to take who you are, all of your successes, failures, scars and shortcomings to use them for His purpose. When you become His follower, he doesn’t make you conform. Instead He makes you transform! Romans 12:2 says that we should not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the entire renewal of your mind. This transformation starts with renewal. You get a fresh start spiritually. Jesus wants to give you a renewed hope and future.

I know what it’s like to be religious and to try to impose religion on others. Jesus didn’t do it that way and neither should we. Where religion seeks to control, condemn and conform you, Christ wants to set you free, forgive you and renew you. In fact, Christianity is the opposite of religion. It is not a set of rules and regulations as some would have you believe. It’s about having a relationship with a God that loves you more than you can comprehend. It’s about living for the One who died for you. While there are those who seek to make Christianity act like religion, that was not Jesus’ intent. He came to bring life and peace. There is freedom in Jesus.

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August 15, 2012 · 12:38 PM

Freedom of Forgiveness

Have you ever offended someone unknowingly? I have. I’ll never forget when a husband of a friend of mine was helping me out. We were talking about something and then he stopped and looked at me. He said, ” Do you not even realize what you did to us? You’ve invited me over to help you, you’re sitting here talking like nothing’s wrong and you did…. to us.”. I was shocked and hurt at the same time. I hadn’t realized that my actions had offended because they had acted like nothing was wrong for so long.

I think he could tell from my reaction that I was unaware that I had offended them. He wrapped up what he was doing and left. I was sitting their wondering what just happened. I finally realized that I had been wrong and later went to him and her for forgiveness. How we both handled it affected our relationship from then on.

Forgiveness is something we want from others, but have trouble giving to others. None of us are perfect. That means we all mess up and at times offend or hurt someone else. I’ve done it and you’ve done it. How do we handle seeking or giving forgiveness though? Why is one so much harder than the other?

Seeking forgiveness can be difficult too. It requires that you humble yourself, admit that you made a mistake and then go to that person to admit it. It is against human nature to do that. Don’t believe me? Tell a young child to apologize to someone and watch what happens. Most kids 2 years and up have a hard time apologizing. We don’t like to admit we were wrong. Period.

Seeking forgiveness is important though. Many people, like my friend, may never tell you until the damage is irreparable. If you knowingly hurt someone, you need to go to them and ask for forgiveness. Put the ball in their court. Give them the choice to forgive you or not. It’s important that you recognize what you’ve done and that you’re truly sorry. That goes a long way towards receiving forgiveness from others.

What about when someone hurts or offends us? How quickly are we willing to forgive? We typically judge ourselves on our intentions and others on their actions. When someone comes to us for forgiveness, we need to forgive them. I say that as someone who has been cut to the bone by someone else by an unforgivable act. If we choose not to forgive, we allow ourselves to be consumed with bitterness. It affects every area of our lives. Giving forgiveness when it is least deserved offers the greatest freedom.

Forgiving someone when they don’t ask is even harder. Inside, you want them to be sorry for what they did and to have that closure that they know it was a mistake and you forgive them. Just because they don’t come knocking on your door for forgiveness doesn’t mean you don’t have to forgive. Jesus said in Matthew 18:15 that is someone offends you that you should go to them and clear it up. Yes, you should initiate it. If they listen, you have gained them back.

Life is too short to hold grudges against people. There is freedom in forgiveness. Each one of us have sinned against God and He has not held that against us. He offers forgiveness to us no matter how bad we have wronged Him. In fact, Romans 5:8 says that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He provided a model for us. Forgive others even when they don’t deserve it. We’d like to be forgiven even when we don’t deserve it. Who do you need to forgive today to get your freedom back?

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August 13, 2012 · 8:54 AM

Reasons to Hope

Hope. It’s a small word that does big things. It’s a light when we are surrounded by darkness. It can sustain us in times of intense despair. It’s one of the amazing things in life that can keep us going when we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve clung to it many times in my life to help pull me through the darkest days of my life.

Maybe you’re in a situation right now that seems hopeless. Where You can’t seem to find anything worth living for or a reason to get you through the day. It’s tough. It’s lonely. Without hope is no way to live. It only takes a small amount of hope to make a big change in your life. Hope can make all the difference in your situation.

Here are three areas I’ve found reason to hope.

Hope for victory

Gene Kranz, flight director of Apollo 13, famously said, “Failure is not an option.” I’m here to tell you that defeat is not an option. You cannot open the door to defeat. Defeat is the enemy of hope. You may feel defeated in your situation right now, but there is still hope for victory for you no matter what.

Anytime you are caught in a battle, there is hope for victory. When there is no hope for victory, surrender is your only option. While hope remains, we fight on. You can be victorious in your situation. II Corinthians 2:14 says, “Now thanks be unto God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ!” Even when it doesn’t feel like it, you have the hope of victory through Christ.

2. Hope for healing

I remember being holed up in the ICU waiting room at M.D. Anderson while my mom was battling cancer. There was a group of us who lived in that room. The group was constantly evolving. You only moved out for one of two reason. Either your loved one got better and moved out of ICU or they didn’t. Every day we as strangers would share what little hope we had gotten that day: a blink, a hand grasp, a clean CAT scan. One person’s hope would be enough for all of us.

We have a hope for healing through Christ. Isaiah 53:5 tells us that with the stripes that wounded Christ, we are healed and made whole. We can believe and hope in that healing because of the pain He endured. I believe in God’s ability and willingness to heal today even though I was one of the ones who left that waiting room for the other reason. Now, I sit in Heaven’s waiting room with the hope of seeing her again.

3. Hope for Heaven

If you believe that Jesus came to this earth as the Son of God, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to pay the price for your sins and the was resurrected from death in order to give you life, you can have the hope of going to Heaven. There is not one of us who are worthy to go, but through the death of Christ on the cross, we receive the righteousness required to enter.

Once you believe in Jesus, that hope is translated to absolute knowledge. I John 5:12,13 tell us that whoever has the Son has life and these things were written so that we may know we have eternal life. You do not have to wonder if you are worthy enough or if you are going to Heaven. You can know it, but you have to believe in Him. There is hope for you!

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August 8, 2012 · 7:43 AM

Knocked Down, but Not Out

A few years ago, life knocked me down. It took the wind out of me when it did. It was hard to do things that were once normal. Everything took effort. An effort that I didn’t have the strength to give. Sometimes just breathing took every ounce of energy I had. It was a tough place to be. I was lying flat on my back wondering how to go on, if I should go on. The easiest thing to do was to give up and stay down.

Have you ever been there? Maybe you’re there now. Sometimes life throws some pretty hard hits. It doesn’t seem fair how, why or when things come our way to knock us down and off the path we were on. You didn’t ask for it or deserve it, but it happened anyway. You have to make some pretty tough choices when you’ve been knocked down. Life changing choices.

Here are some choices I made that helped me.

1. Don’t lose heart

The first thing you want to do is to give up. That’s because that’s the easiest choice, but it’s not the right choice. When the wind is knocked out of you, it gets hard to breathe. Life comes crashing down on you and you’re left wondering if you have anything left. You do. It’s in these times that you have to reach down inside you and find who you really are.

In John 14:1, Jesus told the disciples not to lose heart. He told them to believe in and to rely on Him. When we get knocked down, it is a chance for our faith to grow. When you can’t rely on anyone else, rely on God. He’s the one who is there with you even when you can’t see Him. He’s there to give you heart and strength to move on from where you think you will be forever.

2. Stand back up

One of the hardest things to do when you’ve been knocked down is to stand back up. You may not feel like you have the strength to do it, but you do. It’s inside you. You just have to dig deep to find it. Standing back up is an act of courage. It tells life that it may knock you down, but you will not be counted out. You are here to fight. You are here o win.

Proverbs 24:16 says even if you are knocked down 7 times, the godly get back up. No matter how many times you get knocked down, get up one more time. You are able to do it and each time you get up, you are stronger for it. I kept telling myself, ” What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. If I can survive this, I can survive anything.” You can survive this, but you gotta get back up!

3. Move forward

It’s not enough just to stand back up though. You have to take a step forward even if you don’t know what way “forward” is. Staying still can’t be an option. Where you were is where you were knocked down. You have to move past that area of your life o you can recover. There is hope, there is help and there is healing; but you must move forward to get it.

Philippians 3:14 and 4:13 are your new best friends. Read them, repeat them and cling to them. They say, “I press on toward the goal” and “I can do all things through Christ.” Your goal right now is to press on (forward). You can do it by the power and strength of Jesus. Your faith is what will carry you on. Find someone who can help along the way. You are not supposed to do this alone. They may not understand what you’ve been through, but that’s ok. They have the strength you need to move forward.

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August 6, 2012 · 8:29 AM

Victory in your trials

One of the things I love about Jesus is that He didn’t pull any punches in His ministry. He told it like it was. Take for instance John 16:33 where He said, “In this world you will have tribulation and trials and distresses and frustration (AMP).” If He told us ahead of time we were going to experience these things, why are we shocked and upset when they happen? I’ve had my share of these and know there are more on the way as long as I live.

So often when we encounter these in our lives, we ask others to pray for us to be delivered of it. Our immediate response to tribulations, trials, distresses and trouble is to want to get out immediately. If that was God’s desire for them, we would never face them. He uses times like that to grow us, to make us more dependent on Him and to prepare us for something down the road.

Here are some things I’ve found that help me to get the most out of these times.

1. Admit I can’t do it alone

We were not made to go through these times alone. I’ve tried to make it through difficult times by myself and it has never worked. I try and I try, but always fall flat on my face after I get worn out by the stress of it all. It’s only when I come to the realization that I need God’s help that growth truly happens. In II Corinthians 12:9, Paul said that it is when we are weak that He is made strong. We don’t realize our need for dependence on God until those times.

When we think we can do it on our own, our pride grows as a result. I thought it was fitting that Michael Phelps final medal was in a team event. He didn’t get to be the best Olympian ever on his own. He had help along the way. He had a coach to push him beyond what he thought he could do. That’s what God does for us in our difficult times. He pushes us to grow more than we ever thought we could.

2. Trust God

I don’t know what my future holds and chances are, you don’t know yours either. We may have a plan of where we are going, but it doesn’t always end up that way. God has a perfect plan for your life. He knows what you need now to get you where He wants you in the future. Sometimes difficult times are a means to put us back on the right track. He uses road blocks, job losses and dead ends to get us to where we need to be. We have to trust His view of the complete picture of our lives.

Last season I watched a couple of episodes of “Gold Rush Alaska”. In one of the episodes, they took their gold to a refinery at the end of the season. They heated the gold until it melted, they then added borax to the gold and then they let it cool. Once cooled, the gold was covered in black stuff (dross). They hit it with a hammer and all the dross fell off leaving pure gold. When we are walking through the fires of life, God purifies us. It’s not an easy process and it often means that we lose people who are close to us. They, like the dross, may be keeping us from being pure. It may hurt, but it’s for our good.

3. Walk in faith

When hard times come, don’t crumble under the pressure. Keep walking and moving in the right direction. Giving up only prolongs the situation. I know what it’s like to give up when the tribulation seems to have no end. This is not the answer. God sees you where you are and is walking through it with you. He is there every step of the way. You may not be able to see the way out, but He does so you don’t have to.

Victory is found in taking up your cross daily and following Him. It’s in your daily walking out your faith even when you can’t see the next step that you overcome trials. I love how the verse in John 16:33 ends. It says, “Take courage; be confident… I (Jesus) have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.” Your victory has already been won! Keep walking in faith believing in your victory and learn what God has for you in this.

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August 3, 2012 · 10:21 AM

Chic-Fil-A, The Church and Jesus

I’ve read a lot this week about whether people going to Chic-Fil-A was right or wrong, whether the church failed or not and whether CFA was evil and hateful or good and right. Some people went to protest the protest, some went to speak out against homosexuality and others went to support a fellow believer under attack. Some spoke words of conviction while others spoke words of condemnation. It’s been an emotional roller coaster to watch and be a part of this week.

Jesus faced the same thing in his day. In Matthew 11:12 he talked about how the kingdom of heaven had suffered from violence and that violent people were attacking it. A few verses down (18 & 19), he mentions how John came and didn’t eat what others ate and he was demonized for it. Then, when Jesus ate and drank with sinners, He was called names too. Christians have been attacked whether they do or they don’t. Lately, those attacks have been coming from within though.

How are we supposed to respond when our faith is under attack and one of our own is being ridiculed? If we stand up for them, we are hate mongers. If we stay quiet, will we be attacked next? How do we show love to those in sin without compromising our message. If all we do is show love and don’t bring the truth of the cross have we really accomplished anything than approving of their sin? The message of the cross is just as hard on believers and nonbelievers alike.

Jesus preached in the temple and in the synagogues. His message was tough on the religious leaders. He didn’t pull any punches. They hated Him for it. He pointed out in Scripture what He came to do: preach Good News to the poor, set those in captivity free, open the blind eyes, to deliver the oppressed and to proclaim the day of salvation (Luke 4:18). He was clear in His mission.

He also preached on the hillside where those who couldn’t / wouldn’t go to a synagogue or the temple to hear His message. Even there, He was clear in His message. It was still about repentance. In Luke 5:32, He was being attacked for taking His message out of the synagogue. His response was that He did not “come to invite and call the righteous, but those erring ones (those not free from sin) to repentance [to change their minds for the better and heartily amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins] (AMP).”

Jesus was able to preach repentance while showing compassion. He didn’t hide behind the walls of the synagogue. He went out to the people, even those whom the religious leaders thought were the worst of sinners. He made Himself accessible to all who wanted to come near. When people wanted to debate Him or trap Him with questions, He didn’t crush them with His response. He asked them questions or made plain His view without destroying the person. They usually left without saying anything in response because His answers left no room for question.

How do we do that today? It seems our goal in debates (internally and externally) is to destroy the other person, not to bring them to your side. Christians proved they could be mobilized and unified (for the most part) this week. Whatever your reason for going or not going to CFA, the Church sent a message (good or bad depending on your perspective). That mobilization caught the attention of the country and part of the world. What if we showed that kind of unity and mobilization to do something for the least of these instead of for ourselves next time? What if next time we buy those chicken sandwiches and deliver them to homeless shelters and feed others instead? What message would that send? We have the opportunity now to stay mobilized and unified to do something with compassion. Keep this energy and momentum going and channel it into doing something positive that will bring repentance to others and souls into the Kingdom.

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August 2, 2012 · 7:58 AM

Withholding things from God

Last night as our church group sat around talking and eating, the debate of waffle fries or McDonald’s fries came up. During the debate, it came up that I love McDonald’s fries so much that I won’t even share one with my wife. If she wants just one, I’ll go buy her a bag of fries rather than give her one of mine. Someone told me that if I loved her like Christ loved the Church, I would give her one. I jokingly said back, “I don’t know if He loved the Church that much!”

The truth is that He loves the Church infinitely more than that and he has called us to love our wives that much. Is there something you hold back from your spouse? It could be something silly like a French fry or it could be a compliment, a thank you or the words I love you. Beyond that, what is it you withhold from God?

Here are something’s that I’ve found I withhold from Him sometimes.

1. My time

There are 1440 minutes in each day. If I were to tithe on my time, I should give Him 144 minutes each day. That’s 2 hours and 24 minutes each day to put it into perspective. When you think of all he has given to us, 10% is not much. Time is something that is very valuable to all of us. We only have so much of it and it seems everyone wants some of it.

I was reading yesterday in Genesis about the death of Abraham’s wife Sarah. He needed a place to bury her and someone offered a field with a cave in it for free. He wouldn’t take it because he wanted to give his wife something that was valuable and cost him something. If time is your most valuable asset, God will honor you for giving more of it to him.

2. My problems

I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes I don’t want to bother God with what is bothering me. He has enough on His plate with everything going on in the world without having to worry or spend time helping me with my problems. Sure, I go to him with the big things, but I try to handle the little things on my own. I heard someone say this week that they only take God their big problems and someone responded, “With God, there are no “big” problems.”

God never intended us to carry the load ourselves. He told us to cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us. We don’t have to shoulder the burden ourselves. He wants to help, but we keep Him from it and wear ourselves out. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus told all who were weary and had heavy burdens to come to Him and take his burdens because they were light.

3. My gratitude

When I look back at my life and think of all the things I have prayed for, I can see that more were answered than not. I also see that once it has been answered, I rarely go back to say “thank you”. It’s not that I’m ungrateful. It’s that a new problem has come up and I’ve started asking for it. I think it’s important to keep a prayer journal where you write down all your requests of God. When you go back in a month, year or decade and see what your problems were and how God answered them, you’ll be grateful and amazed.

I wrote recently about being thankful here. Being thankful and showing gratitude changes your perspective and builds your faith. When you see all the little things that God has done for you, it’s easy to trust Him with the big things. Everyone likes to be appreciated for things they do. We were made in God’s image. I think He likes to be thanked every now and then too.

Have you found that these are some areas that you withhold from God too? Maybe you haven’t withheld all of them or you’ve withheld other things that are important to you. God loves you so much that the Bible says he will not withhold any good thing from you. In fact, He has proven it by sending His son to die for our sins. Even when we are ungrateful for that at times, He still gives us good things. We can make that change today. We can choose to quit withholding things from Him now. What are you going to quit withholding?

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August 1, 2012 · 8:00 AM

Acting in Faith

Lately God has been pushing me to do more than I ever have. Sometimes the things He asks are small while other times it requires a great amount if faith to step out and do it. That first moment when you hear His voice or feel His prompting is critical. My mind starts to think different things. Do I step out and do that? Is that really God? Why would you want me to do that?

Have you experienced those thoughts when you’ve been promoted by God to act in faith? I think we all have. It’s not easy to take a step when you can’t see where you’re going. You don’t know what will happen or how you’ll look. We are all called by God to live a life of faith and surrender. What do you do when feel lead to act in faith?

Abraham was asked to take a huge leap of faith in sacrificing his only son. Here are somethings we can follow when we are asked to act in faith.

1. Act quickly

When God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 22:2 and asked him to sacrifice his son, Abraham didn’t argue with God. He knew that God had given him his son in his old age and that nothing was impossible for God. Verse 3 says that Abraham got up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, chopped wood for the sacrifice and began the trip.

I wonder how I would respond in that situation. Would I have argued with God? Would I have delayed and procrastinated? When God asks us to do something, it is usually time bound and requires our immediate action. He may want you to say something to a stranger, pay for someone’s groceries or just pray for someone. When He asks, we need to act quickly in faith.

2. Trust God

Along the way to the mountain, Isaac realized something wasn’t right. He noticed the wood and the fire, but he didn’t see a lamb. Abraham replied that God would provide. He knew that God had made a promise to him and that God would fulfill His promise. He wasn’t sure how He would do it, but he knew that God had not let any promises go unfulfilled yet.

God is faithful to His Word. He cannot go back on it. When He promises something to you, believe it with al, your heart and trust Him to fulfill it. As abraham was binding up his son and placing him on the altar, I’m sure Abraham was thinking, “Uh God, where is the lamb for this sacrifice?” He continued to act in faith even when he couldn’t see how God would provide. Blind obedience always yields God’s reward.

3. Receive His blessing

As Abraham stood there with knife in hand, the angel called out to him to stop. His faith had been tested and he had shown God that he would not withhold anything from Him including his only son. God then provided a ram to be caught in some bushes by its horns. He received that blessing and sacrificed it instead.

This is a great illustration of what God has done for us. It was our lives who were on the altar. We are the ones who were supposed to die because of our sin. At the right moment in time, God provided a lamb to be sacrificed in our place. He provided His only son, Jesus to come and die in our place so we could receive the blessing of spending eternity with Him.

If God was not willing to withhold even His own son from us, how much of what we have should we be willing to give Him? What He asks of us pales in comparison to what He gave for us. When God asks us next time to step out in faith, remember that we need to act quickly and trust Him. We have received the blessing of salvation, now it’s time to give something back to Him.

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