The Abraham Challenge!
Day 4—You are always worshiping. The question is who?
23andMe and other DNA testing systems have piqued people's curiosity.
Is there someone special in my lineage?
Am I truly what my surroundings have labeled me?
Is my relative some great leader?
Abraham’s lineage was not something to brag about. His parents worshiped idols. Scripture even says Abraham’s family served other gods. (Joshua 24:2)
Yet God plucked Abraham out of that lineage and made a chain-breaking covenant promise. “I will make of you a great nation.” (Genesis 12:2) God’s promise to Abraham ultimately leads to Jesus, the promised Seed who blesses the nations. (Galatians 3:16)
That is how Lordship begins.
God speaks first.
God chooses first.
Then, in faith, Abraham responds.
When God said, “Go,” Abraham went.
Surely it was because Abraham had it all together.
But Scripture records that he did not.
He lied multiple times about his wife because fear ruled him in those moments. (Genesis 12:10 to 20, Genesis 20:1 to 18)
He also took Lot with him when God told him to leave his family. Scripture does not call it sin, but it later created tension.
So why did Abraham go, and go quickly, when God said to go?
He knew God was with him.
God was present.
When God’s voice and presence show up like that, the fuel is there, and the steps move forward.
God was not looking for perfection in Abraham.
God was looking for progress.
The longer Abraham walked with God, the more progress was shown.
And this is where the gospel shines brighter than a family tree.
Abraham was counted righteous by faith, not by performance. (Genesis 15:6)
That points forward to Jesus, who saves us by grace, through faith, not by works. (Ephesians 2:8 to 9)
God does not rescue us because our record is clean.
He rescues us because Jesus died and rose again, and we trust Him.
Never Finished Challenge: Abraham Challenge
Abraham showed us three things we can apply to our lives if we want God to be Lord of our lives.
First, quick obedience and faithfulness keep you tethered to God.
Quick obedience gives God room to keep doing what He will do.
Slowness in obedience does not delay God.
It delays your experience of His powerful and magnificent plan at work.
When you sense a nudge from the Holy Spirit to make that phone call, to forgive, to serve, to give, or whatever is biblical, act on it.
If you are struggling to act, welcome to the club.
Reach out to community, a pastor, or your spouse so you can move quickly.
Second, remember Him through worship.
Abraham knew how to celebrate God’s promises.
He often built altars and worshiped to remember God’s presence. (Genesis 12:7, Genesis 12:8, Genesis 13:18)
Remembering is key to continuing the walk as a believer.
It lifts your eyes to the eternal.
Write down every answer to prayer and every clear work of God in your life.
Date it.
Name it.
The more you do that, the more you will realize two things.
God is working often in your life.
Your expectation will grow for His working.
Finally, trust God’s faithfulness when you fail.
This is probably my favorite, because the father of faith messed up a lot.
His mess-ups did not define God’s faithfulness or God’s calling on his life.
Abraham still had to obey, learn, and grow.
But our behavior, thankfully, does not limit God’s working.
God’s plan will happen one way or the other.
You will mess up.
A lot.
Following Jesus is not about performance.
It is about relationship.
Ask God to draw you in.
When He draws you in, stay there long enough to learn something new about Him.
Learn His heart.
Learn His ways.
Learn His plan.
Then obey what you know.
What Does Today Say About God?
Immanuel
Time has flown by this year. As the new year invites another opportunity to go and to grow, I am reminded of the how and the why.
The how is God with us, and for the believer, God in us.
Immanuel means God with us. Not beside us. Not around us. With us.
Jesus came as God with us. By His Spirit, He is God in us.
In His presence is freedom. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And where there is freedom, there is transformation.
The why is because I am His.
Not because I performed well, but because Jesus has made me His.
When the how and the why are settled, New Year’s resolutions finally fit what He wants to do. And getting to play a small part in what He wants to do is life-changing.
What a Father.
What a Friend.
What a King.
Thank you, Jesus.