Truth #1: Living by faith means accepting Gods call without knowing where it will lead. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). There is only one way to describe Ur of the Chaldees. It was a world-class city. Archaeologists tell us that in Abrahams day perhaps 250,000 people lived there. It was a center of mathematics, astronomy, commerce and philosophy. People from outlying areas moved to Ur because they wanted to be part of that great city. No doubt many of Abrahams friends thought he was crazy. Why would anyone want to leave Ur? Obeying Gods call meant giving up his friends, his career, his traditions, his home, his position, his influence, and his country. More than that, it meant risking his health and his future on a vague promise from an unseen God to lead him to a land that I will show you (Genesis 12:1). When Abraham left Ur, he burned his bridges behind him. For him there could be no turning back. Once he left the walls of Ur, he was on his own, following Gods call into the unknown. You say, He gave all that up? Yes. Thats kind of strange, isnt it? Is it? Please dont miss the point. When God calls, there are no guarantees about tomorrow. Abraham truly didnt know where he was going, didnt know how he would get there, didnt know how long it would take, and didnt 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. Everything else was up in the air. You want a long life? So do I. You want to rise in your profession? So do I. You want lots of friends? So do I. You want to grow old and die with your family around you? So do I. Theres nothing wrong with those desires. All of us feel that way. But living by faith means no guarantees and no certainty about the future. I was once approached by a Christian ministry asking if I would consider a particular position in their organization. I met the people, liked them very much, and was very impressed by what they were doing. As I investigated further, I found that they take very good care of the people who work for them. I liked everything I learned about the people and their ministry. But when the moment came, I decided to say no. This isnt how I put it to them, but its how I said it to myself. I couldnt hear the bells ringing. You either understand that or you dont. If you dont, there isnt much I can say that will be helpful. And if you do, there isnt any explanation that is needed. But I will add this much. All of us come to moments in life when we say yes or no to certain opportunities simply because its the right thing to do at the time. Sometimes we take a job because we need to pay bills and take care of our family. Its hard to get more basic than that. And young people take jobs in various places as they are building their careers. I just read an article that suggests that the average worker in the US may have as many as 10 jobs by the time he is 40 and will make 3-5 career changes by the time he retires. People make moves and change jobs and relocate and start over again for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes you are forced to make decisions for reasons beyond your control. In these tough economic times, people scramble to take whatever jobs they can find. But there are moments in life when you have a choice, a decision, and you can stay where you are or you can do something different. I dont know of any failsafe way to know in advance how things will work out. Abraham heard the bells ringing (not literally - thats a symbol for a sense of Gods calling), and so he left Ur of the Chaldees. If you truly want to do Gods will, sometimes you will find yourself exactly where Abraham was - setting out on a new journey that doesnt seem to make sense from the worlds point of view. How would he ever explain his decision to leave the comfort of Ur for the uncertainty of a long trek across the desert? The only certainty he had was that God had called him and he must obey. The rest was shrouded in mystery. That fact makes his obedience all the more impressive. The NIV version of 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 was the secret of his life. He stepped out in faith even though there were no guarantees about his own personal future. Let me put it another way. Living by faith means stepping out for God and leaving the results to him. Its no guarantee of long life and good success. You may have those blessings. But 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 dont know the future, but Im trusting him to work out the details. In the meantime, I step out by faith and follow where he leads me. That brings us to the second great truth about living by faith. _MC_
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 17:11:15 +0000
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