In Touch - December 2, 2005

Friday December 2, 2005

Skills Needed to Walk by Faith

GENESIS 12:10-20

 

Learning to walk by faith requires time. As we have seen, Abraham listened to God and obeyed Him. Then over the years, he learned to master additional skills.

 

Dependence. The Christian life is one of reliance upon God. From the very start, Abraham recognized that his own physical sight was limited; he didn’t know the way. But he understood whom he could trust to meet his needs: God knew the plan perfectly and had all the necessary resources.

 

Waiting on God. This can be one of the hardest disciplines to master. Scripture shows that even Abraham, the great man of faith, had trouble in this area. While human nature wants action, God often says, “Be still” (2 Chronicles 20:17). He wants us to let Him act first. Our part is to meditate on the Word, listen for God’s voice, and hold off until He instructs us to act. The Lord, meanwhile, promises to bless those who wait (Isaiah 64:4).

 

Confession. Abraham was not perfect. When famine threatened, he headed toward Egypt, not toward God. Then he lied, which made trouble for others. Later, Sarah found it too hard to wait for the promised child, so she took matters into her own hands (Genesis 16:1-3). We also will stumble; but when we return to the Lord in repentance and acknowledge our failure, we will receive forgiveness and can resume walking by faith.

 

God knows we are imperfect people. He will patiently teach us faith-walking lessons over and over until we master them. Success will come if we maintain responsive hearts and teachable spirits.