It’s day 10! I hope you’ve been keeping up with the readings! I especially hope that God has been speaking to you in a new way. What have you learned? We’d love to hear from you. Share your story in the comment section below. Here’s what God has been showing me through the last several days of reading.
I’ve always been impressed with the story of Abraham. The guy seems to have unshakable faith in God. We read stories in the Bible about men and women, who, when told to go and do something, set up tests just to make sure they are understanding God correctly. Not Abraham.
“1 Now the Lord said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you…4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him…” (Gen.12:1-4, ESV)
No questions. No tests. Abraham just went. And where? “To the land that I will show you.” Abraham had no idea where he was going! God said pack up and go, and he went!
Several years later Abraham was confronted with yet another command from God.
“2 [God] said, Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac.” (Gen.22:2-3, ESV)
Again, no questions. No tests. Abraham just did it! God told him to take his son Isaac to a mountain and offer him there as a burnt offering. And what did Abraham do? He took his son Isaac, and went. He even got up early in the morning. No procrastinating. No waiting to ‘make sure’ he heard right. The Bible gives no indication that Abraham went home and ‘prayed’ about it for a couple of weeks. He just did what God told him to do!
I wish I could say that I had faith like Abraham. Now Abraham wasn’t perfect. For example, in Genesis 16 Abraham took matters into his own hands. God had promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son. Well Abraham was getting older, and the prospect of having a child was becoming more and more unrealistic. So Abraham decided to try with another woman (with his wife’s blessing). And sure enough, Abraham had a son by his wife’s maidservant. Not at all what God had in mind when he had promised Abraham a son. Obviously Abraham was human just like you and me.
But Abraham had some pretty bright moments. If I could talk to Abraham right now, I’d like to ask him “How’d you do it? How did you know for sure that it was God talking? How did you know what God’s will was for your life?”
Isn’t that the question we are all asking? Don’t we just want to know what God wants us to do? “Should I marry this person?” “Should I buy this house?” “Should I take this job?” How can I know for sure that this is where God is leading?
Personally, I think we over-complicate things. We make it harder than it really is. When someone comes to me trying to discern God’s will, I always ask a few simple questions: “Are you having a regular quiet time?” In other words, do you read your Bible every day? Do you pray every day? If you are not spending time talking to God and listening to God, then how on earth do you expect to be able to discern his will?
As we continue on this journey through the Bible together, be encouraged! Stay faithful to the reading of God’s Word. He will speak to you, he will show you what to do next. Sometimes I think God has already made himself pretty clear. And we know it. We are just coming up with excuses and questions to try and avoid what God is calling us to do.
Let’s not excuse God’s direction in our lives. Instead, boldly step out in faith and obey. You will not be sorry.
Pastor Geoffrey
Parents – check out the kid friendly 100 day blogs by clicking here
Geoffrey is the campus pastor for our Monroe Campus and oversees Adult Ministries / LifeGroups at Southbrook. When he’s not out riding his bicycle, you’ll find him counseling, working with LifeGroup leaders, preparing for Wednesday classes, and most importantly serving and loving the community of Monroe.