Moving Forward with Faith
Bible Readings
- Genesis 12:4-9 - So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
- 1 Samuel 16:11-13 - And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
- Acts 9:1-6 - And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Sometimes our faith can falter when our focus shifts more to our own comfort than to God's plan. Abraham did not fall into this trap. He exchanged the familiar and comfortable for the unknown, and as a result, received many blessings.
When God calls us to move forward, living by faith is the right response — and His call can come at any stage of our lives, regardless of our age or position. Abraham was 75 years old when he began his journey. David was still a young man when he was anointed to be king (1 Samuel 16:11–13). And the Apostle Paul encountered the Lord at the peak of his power and influence, while on his way to Damascus to arrest believers (Acts 9:1–6).
Following God also includes times of testing. Abraham, like us, experienced both successes and failures. To the initial call to leave his country, he responded with strong faith and immediate obedience. As a result, the Lord promised him and his descendants great blessing. But when famine came, he reacted differently — he went to Egypt, lied about his relationship with Sarah, and was rebuked by Pharaoh. This shows us that how we respond to God's call is very important.
Obeying the Lord can sometimes be uncomfortable. But faith helps us to move forward in obedience. It leads us to stay on track and experience the blessings that come from a relationship with Christ.
🤔 Reflection
When God calls you to move forward, how can you respond with faith despite the discomfort or uncertainty ahead?
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