FOLLOWING GOD’S WAYS

Now the Lord has said to Abram “Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you and in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Genesis 12:1-3

 Any great man or woman who influenced their generation was a risk taker.

Anonymous.

                 Its incredibly amazing and mind blowing how the Creator of the universe in His unfathomable wisdom can choose someone from an idolatrous background, give them a new identity and make them the envy of their generation.

                 What manner of love is this? Our God can stoop down to the lowly and helpless humanity, impart His nature and character in them and turn them into firebrands who will enforce His will in the earth. 

“..But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty…” – 1^st Corinthians 1:26-28

         This was Abram’s story before he became Abraham (father of many nations). He came from an idol worship culture. This did not limit God’s grace and mercy. God bypassed what surrounded Abram in order to change him into a true worshiper of Yahweh. God does not consult anybody when He wants to bless His people. He goes beyond our limitations to bless us then use us for His glory.

There are many important lessons to learn from the life of Abraham who through obedience to God’s will received God’s blessing, a new identity and became a father of many nations. Jesus Christ descends or rather finds root from this same man.

Anyone who desires to be used of God irrespective of their area of calling needs to observe the following lessons:

a)      You must be willing to forsake the world:

Abraham was asked to get out of his country and to leave his family. This symbolically speaks to us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. God expects us to completely forsake the things that we are so accustomed to in order to venture into the unknown (1^st John 2:15-17). We are expected to live as strangers in this world. Why? Because although we live in the world, we are not of this world.

b)      Be ready and willing to heed instructions:

God’s instructions to us will many times not make sense, but our response to them is key. We need to have quick obedience because delayed obedience is disobedience. When God speaks to us reason is never required. Genesis 12:4 says “Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him.” If we desire to please God and experience His blessings in our lives, we will be required to obey His instructions.

c)      God will bless those who obey:

The blessings that became actualized in Abraham’s life came on the heels of his obedience and the promises God had given him. Abraham was blessed materially and financially. God gave him a son who later bore Jacob (Israel) from whom the seed of the Messiah came from.

Stay sober and expect God to instruct you on what to do concerning your need or situation. Be quick to heed His voice because instructions are the way of life and greatness.