"ABRAHAM"

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We know of Abraham as ‘the father of many nations’. He is also used as the example of a man of great faith throughout the Old and New Testament. Despite this honour and label, however, Abraham was not always so steadfast. Instead, it was through his weaknesses that God’s grace and faithfulness was made visible.  

 

God called Abraham to leave his family, his life of comfort and stability, and move to a foreign land. Without knowing where God was leading him, or what to expect from his new life, Abraham stepped out in faith. He boldly decided to trust God enough to give up his own dreams and obey God’s will. God then promised Abraham that his offspring would be as many as the stars in the night sky, and that through him, God would bless many nations. As great as it sounded, this seemed ludicrous: Abraham and his wife Sarah were both very old, and she was barren. Remember, this was thousands of years before any kind of scientific obstetrics or gynecology assistance was available! Despite God’s specific and repeated assurance to Abraham that he would have a son by Sarah and that through him would come a great and mighty nation, when faced with such a physical impossibility, Abraham faltered. He and Sarah separately questioned and laughed at such an idea (Genesis 17:18 and 18:12). Even though God created the world and everything in it, surely he didn’t actually mean to bless the nations by giving the geriatrics a baby? Surely God only meant it figuratively, and it was up to Abraham and Sarah to read between the lines and take matters into their own hands, and figure out a practical solution to achieve the result God promised?

 

How wrong they were! Even though they were so doubtful of God’s words and so undeserving of God’s grace, God always keeps His promises. Sarah was 90 and Abraham 100 years old when she bore him a son called Isaac. This beloved son that they had both yearned for for almost a century, was finally here! Abraham learned from this and his faith found its source and grew stronger. Years later, when God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his only beloved son, he did not doubt or question God again because he knew that even if it seemed irrational and impossible, God must have a reason for asking him to do so.

 

Are you in a seemingly impossible situation? Do you believe that God has put you there for a reason, even if you don’t know or understand that reason? Do you trust that God is still able to bless you through it? Do you laugh at His promises in disbelief, or can you give up your plans to allow His better plans for your life to flourish?

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