Sunday 4 May, 2014

8 Abraham had faith. So he obeyed God. God called him to go to a place he would later receive as his own. So he went. He did it even though he didn’t know where he was going. 9 Because of his faith he made his home in the land God had promised him. He was like an outsider in a strange country. He lived there in tents. So did Isaac and Jacob. They received the same promise he did. 10 Abraham was looking forward to the city that has foundations. He was waiting for the city that God planned and built. 11 Abraham had faith. So God made it possible for him to become a father. He became a father even though he was too old. Sarah also was too old to have children. But Abraham believed that the One who made the promise was faithful. 12 Abraham was past the time when he could have children. But many children came from that one man. They were as many as the stars in the sky. They were as many as the sand on the seashore. No one could count them.

The stories of faith in Hebrews 11 are a great place to be inspired and to get motivation. Abraham and Sarah really hung in there. They believed what God told them even when it took so many years to come to pass, even when it was hard or considered impossible.

It’s easy for us to look at a situation and see all the problems, all the impossibilities, in seeing it come to pass. It’s how we are taught to analyse a problem. It’s a useful approach to making sure any strategy we develop to achieve a goal is covering all the contingencies. But it can rob us of motivation and energy if we stay in that place. Abraham said yes first to what God asked of him and then he worked out how to make it work. He was willing to give things a try. Something we all need to be.

Lord thanks so much that we have people who have gone before us who have demonstrated such faith in You. Help us to remember these people and to learn how they remained faithful to You.  Help us Lord to grow in our faith and to be willing to give things a go when You ask.

Written by Therese Manning