By Allen White
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Genesis 12:3 (NIV)
It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. Romans 4:13, 16 (NIV)
The fatherless Abraham became the father of numberless offspring. According to Paul, Abraham is the genetic father of God’s people, but the exponential factor is that he is the spiritual father of all who live by faith. We can’t count the stars in the sky. (The Milky Way alone has over 400 billion stars). We can’t count the sand on the shore. We lost count of the hamburgers sold at McDonald’s. Abraham’s family is quite a brood, indeed.
God chose Abraham. Abraham didn’t particularly merit this choice. If there was a qualification to be chosen, then Abraham found favor based on upon the weakness of being childless more than anything else. Once the promise was given, Abraham’s faith was necessary to move forward.
God chose us. We were not particularly qualified. In fact, if the test is the Law, then we’ve all failed miserably. All of this must be accepted by faith. We can never earn something that we’ve been freely given.
We accept God’s call by faith. Our problem is that we’re easily distracted, and we don’t listen very well. As we connect to God through His Word and through prayer, He directs us to the next step of faith.
How do we know that we’re hearing from God? A quote by Ed Stetzer is a pretty good test: “Mission is the opposite of self.” How do you rate today?
By Allen White
I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. Genesis 12:2 (NIV)
Abraham has 75 years old when he acted on this promise. Having children was really not an issue at this point. Abraham’s father, Terah, had his oldest son, Haran, at 70 years of age (Genesis 11:26). For Abraham, God’s promise was still full of possibilities.
God’s promise, however, went well beyond Abraham’s immediate family. While Abraham had some means, his world was being turned upside down. What he had relied on would be left behind. How do you form a great nation with land occupied by other peoples? How do you start a great nation when you haven’t even started your own family yet? The key is faithfulness.
My grandmother would have been 102 years old this year. She never had much materially. She did have twelve children to raise. My dad and his brothers and sisters eventually moved away from the boot heel of Missouri to become preachers and factory workers, truck drivers and teachers. They married and had children. Their children had children and grandchildren. When my grandmother passed in 2008, her twelve children had multiplied to 120 children, grandchildren, great-grands and some great, greats too. From one to 120 that’s quite a feat, and we didn’t even count spouses.
The remarkable thing about my grandmother’s children is that they also became God’s children. They are Abraham’s children as are all believers. The faithfulness of one person is significant.
The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Galatians 3:8-9 (NIV)
“Father Abraham” had many sons, indeed. You and I can be thankful for Abraham’s faithfulness. Through this one man, God developed a connection with humanity that extends to every believer.
Stop right now and thank God for that connection with you.
By Allen White
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1 (NIV)
When I was 19 years old, I packed my bags, hugged my parents at the Kansas City International Airport and traveled 36 hours to the other side of the world to serve as a short-term missionary in Hong Kong. Word of advice: a window seat is not that great. Blue sky and blue water look exactly the same. Choose an aisle seat close to the bathroom. Just sayin’.
While I was there, I had the chance to sit down with a veteran missionary, who was a legend in our church. He very quickly gave his opinion of my summer mission trip, “I don’t understand why you kids have to come check out the mission field to decide whether or not you want to become a missionary. If God has called you, then you should just come. You don’t need to see if you like it first.”
I left his office, hat in hand, ready to finish my “vacation.” Our team saw God do some pretty amazing things in the hearts of our Chinese friends that summer. Apparently, God has a much different opinion of short term missions.
That trip opened my eyes to a lot of things. Sitting here writing, I can’t believe that it was over 25 years ago. But the difference between my trip and Abraham’s was vast. I had a 747. He had a camel (and not even a Sopwith Camel). I had a place to stay, people to take care of me, food to eat, and a clear picture of what would happen. Abraham had little of that.
The biggest difference was that at the end of the summer, I knew that I would fly back home and return to college. Abraham was on a one-way trip.
Did my journey require less faith than Abraham’s? Not necessarily. God gives us the faith to accomplish the things that He puts before us.
What has God put before you? What is He challenging you with today? He will give you the faith and ability to proceed as He directs.
By Allen White
Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find? Proverbs 20:6 (NIV)
Words can be very powerful. Words can also be empty and meaningless. If we say the right things, but refuse to do the right things, then we fall into the “clanging gong” category of 1 Corinthians 13.
We all want to give and experience unfailing love. We want true devotion to God and to others. We would like the same back from them. But, often the desire and the reality are miles apart.
The key is faithfulness. They say it takes seven years for a married couple to become compatible. But, then, there is also the seven year itch. Some are about to forfeit a great marriage five or ten years down the road, because it’s hard right now. While we would never expect someone to remain in an abusive situation, many just want to escape an uncomfortable situation. Faithfulness and a commitment to growth can take your marriage to a much better place.
What about church? We’ve become such consumers and connoisseurs of Christianity. Was the music to our liking? Was the sermon entertaining? Did it end on time? Did we feel good afterward? If things don’t suit us, then we look for something that we like better. Really?
It’s not about us. When we give ourselves fully to God, we give up our rights, our preferences, and our comforts. Christ gives us something far better. He gives us eternal life with God. He gives us a deep connection to our Creator. Christ leads us into a life of sacrifice, so we can reap far greater rewards. That doesn’t sound very popular, but if we can just get there, we would never turn back.
What are you tempted to give up on today? How would your faithfulness change things?
What things do you say, but can’t live up to? Maybe it’s time to stop talking and start doing.
These are hard things to think about today. I care about you too much to not say these things.
By Allen White
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
From Unexplainable by Don Cousins:
“I cried out to God with a voice of exasperation: ‘God, what do You want me to do?’ His silence had been deafening, and I was running out of time.
“What I then heard was this: ‘I don’t really care what you do. I care about who you are – and who you are is failing.’ It wasn’t an audible voice, but it was unmistakably clear. I received these words not as condemnation, but as an expression of mercy.
“I returned to where I was staying and turned in my Bible to Galatians 5:22-23, verses I’d read countless times before. In fact, I had them memorized. This time, I read them more carefully and slowly than before.
“Then I did something I’d never done before with these words. I began to evaluate myself in light of those nine characteristics on the list.
“Love. How am I doing? I didn’t score well, so I moved on.
“Joy. How’s that going for me? I didn’t score well here, either, so I kept going…
“In reflection, I summed up my little self-evaluation with this thought: I’m two for nine. Though I had to admit that my two “hits” (faithfulness and self-control) had little to do with the influence of the Holy Spirit…It was the other seven characteristics that pleaded for the influence of the Holy Spirit. In those areas, I was failing. And I knew it.
“While the world cares almost exclusively about what you do and accomplish, God cares first and foremost about who you are. He wants His presence to so fill your life that you experience the blessings that come from being a loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled person” (excerpted from p. 113-117)
The fruit of the Spirit is not a measuring stick to judge our performance. It’s not an incentive to try harder. God’s fruit comes as we are connected to Him. Jesus said, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me” (John 15:4, NLT).
As you read this list of characteristics: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, how do you score? The solution is not to “try harder.” The fix is to check your connection to God. The better the connection, the more plentiful the fruit.
By Allen White
For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. Psalm 145:13 (NLT)
Abraham was faithful because God is faithful. Abraham was able to step forward in faith, not hoping that God might do something, but trusting that God would keep His promises. God certainly did.
What has God promised you? Think about some of the promises from God’s Word:
God will supply our needs (Philippians 4:19).
God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Believers will not be overtaken by temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13).
God has promised victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).
God has promised that all things will work together for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).
God has promised salvation (Acts 2:38; Ephesians 2:8-9).
God has promised eternal life (John 10:27-28).
God has promised that He will always be with us (Hebrews 13:5).
And, this is just a start. We can be faithful because God is faithful to us. Even when we are faithless, God is faithful (2 Timothy 2:11-13).
Our fear, apprehension, worry and doubt can be resolved as we point our minds back to God’s promises. As we continue to remind and assure ourselves of God’s faithfulness, we become more faithful in the process.
Which promise stands out to you today? Put the verse somewhere that you will see it over and over again. Carry it in your pocket. Every time you begin to worry or doubt, read the verse. Remind yourself that God is faithful.
By Allen White
It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them. Hebrews 11:11-12 (NLT)
Good as dead. That’s quite a title. A pastor asked the staff, “How would it feel if that’s what you were called in the Bible: Good as dead?” Faithful, obedient or blessed are much better adjectives to go alongside one’s name in Scripture. But, good as dead? Not so much.
Good as dead, however does not mean impossible. Nothing is impossible with God. God produced a nation with a countless number of people from a couple who couldn’t possibly have children. There is no question that this was a God thing. As God said to Paul, “My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT).
What seems impossible for you today? Where do you feel worthless, helpless or good as dead? This is a great place for God to demonstrate His power. There will be no doubt that He is at work.
