God has always been incredibly faithful to meet me where I am and provide exactly what I need at just the right time. Within days of writing the last post, the lesson in Sunday School and the message at the weekly Young Adult meeting served exactly what my weary heart needed to feast on.
In Sunday School, we're in the midst of a series on Romans. The Young Adult Pastor, Steve, delved into Genesis 12, 15 and 17 to give us background on why Paul was referencing Abraham in Romans 4. The study of Abraham was something I really needed to hear. Abraham (then, Abram) and his wife, Sarah, were called by God to be sojourners. To them, it meant leaving family, land, and with it, any sense of security. God promised Abraham would father a great nation but he did not have an offspring. At the time, they didn't even have the scriptures as the Bible had not been written. All they had was God's self-disclosure. Abraham did not leave as he was instructed. He stayed until his father died. God once again commands Abraham to follow be a sojourner; to put all faith and security in God's promise. Abraham and Sarah were not given any direction or specifics just the instruction to go. Abraham is still seeking security. He sleeps with Sarah's handmaid, Hagar, and fathers Ishmael. He also lies about Sarah being his wife saying she was his sister.
In Genesis 15, at nearly 100 years old, Abraham is still waiting on offspring through Sarah, the child of the promise. "Believe" is seen for the first time in the Bible. The context directly connects this concept to that of righteousness.
This is what began to speak most prominently to me: God confronts Abraham and asks him a heart-searching question: Are you willing to trust me with the deepest desires of your heart? Are you willing to risk what is precious to you on the promise of God?
Abraham is still thinking in the present. Without an heir, what good is the promise of the nations? Without land, how was he to feed a family and have security from which to provide for them?
Clearly, Abraham had disobeyed and was still struggling to follow God's commands and see the fulfillment of the promise. Abraham's life connects here to Romans in that he was not declared righteous because of his works. Romans 4:4-5 God is not obligated to bless for works.
This greatly uplifted me in that Gods plans for me are not dependent on my works (or lack of them). Abraham's path to righteousness (faith) was a rocky one. He fell multiple times. Yet, each time, God picked him up and kept reminding him of the promise, of His good and purposeful plans for Abraham's life.
So even as I get scared to give up what is precious and secure to me, God is ever-present, consistently reminding me of His great plans for my life. I can't mess up God's plans.... my stubborn disobedience may delay what He wants to give me, but the promise remains.
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