When God calls, there are no guarantees about
tomorrow. Abraham truly didn’t know where he was going, didn’t know how he
would get there, didn’t know how long it would take, and he didn’t even know for
sure how he would know he was there when he got there. All he knew was that God
had called him. Period. Living by faith means no guarantees and no
certainty about the future. If you truly want to do God’s will, sometimes you
will find yourself exactly where Abraham was—setting out on a new journey that
doesn’t seem to make sense from the world’s point of view. Hebrews
11:8 says he “obeyed and
went.” There was no greater miracle in his life than that. Everything else
that happened flowed from this basic decision. God called, he obeyed. That
truth is the secret of his life. He stepped out in faith even though there were
no guarantees about his own personal future.
Living by faith means stepping out for God and
leaving the results to him. It’s no guarantee of long life and good success.
You may have it or you may not. The life of faith means, “I am going to be the
man or woman God wants me to be no matter where it leads. I don’t know the
future, but I’m trusting him to work out the details. In the meantime, I step
out by faith and follow where he leads me.” “By faith he made his home in the promised
land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and
Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise” (Hebrews
11:9).
There is within all of us a natural desire to
settle down. The older I get, the less I like to move, and the more I value
coming home to the same places and the same faces every day. Moving has a way
of making us feel unsettled, uprooted, and adrift in the world. It is written
Abraham “lived in tents.” I know many people who like to camp on vacation, but
I don’t know anyone who voluntarily lives in a tent as a permanent residence.
Tents speak of impermanence, of the possibility of moving on at any moment, of
the fact that you live on land you do not personally own.
So it was for Abraham. He did not own anything
in the Promised Land. God had promised to give him the land, yet he lived like
a “stranger in a foreign country.” If you don’t own the land, you can’t build a
permanent dwelling there. God had promised him the land, but he had to scratch
out an existence in tents. Hundreds of years would pass before the promise was
completely fulfilled. Abraham never saw it happen. Neither did Isaac or
Jacob. God’s timetable is not the same as ours. He’s not in a big hurry as we
are. God works across the generations to accomplish his purposes. This means
that we
may have to live in tents for awhile. Who can say what tomorrow will bring?
Our challenge is to be like Abraham and cling to the promises of God no matter
what happens. We may have to say at some point, “We would rather die with the
Lord than live without him.” In God’s timetable every promise will be
fulfilled. Meanwhile, we watch and wait and walk by faith.
One of the verses of that familiar hymn seems
especially appropriate for these days:
“Fear not, I am with thee; O be not
dismayed,
For I am thy God, and will still give thee
aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee
to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent
hand.”
We are called to build our lives on Jesus
Christ. He is the one true firm foundation that can stand the test of time.
In Him,
Brown
Come, Share , Rejoice
Dear Friends and Family,
Praise the Lord for 2014. It is going to be
an exciting year for ministry and the mission of Jesus Christ, our Lord. May
Jesus our Lord bless us as we find the ways and means to celebrate His grace and
love. We are planning for an evening of great celebration on Saturday, February
8. It will be held at 5 PM at the Fellowship Hall, Union Center United
Methodist Church, 128 Maple Drive.
Our own chef Danny Snyder will be preparing a
very special banquet. This will be prepared and served with much love. Our own
Aric Phinney, a gifted and talented musician, will be ministering to us in
music. There will be a time of testimonies and praises. Please join
us.
Come, Share , Rejoice
See you then and there.
Brown
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