Dave’s Monday Blast – January 23, 2017
We are in the midst of a discussion of the benefits of “Walking by Faith”. 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us that we walk by faith, not by sight. This my friends is about as “Counter Cultural” as you can get. None-the-less, Scripture is filled with examples of men and women who found the courage and confidence to obey the Lord in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary; their faith allowed them to be used by God for eternity.
In Review:
- Faith gave Abel the confidence to GIVE. God had instructed Cain and Abel in a simple process of “how to” properly honor and worshipHim.Abel responded in obedience and God spoke well of his offerings. If fact his offering was commended to him as righteousness.
- Faith gave Enoch the confidence to CHANGE.The text informs that he was in his 60’s before he responded in faith to the truth of who God really was. We are affirmed that it is never too late to change, and as needs be, God will use whatever means necessary to encourage change.
- Faith gave Noah the confidence to BUILD that ark.In spite of the fact that a flood of that magnitude was unheard of, Noah responded in faithful obedience.
New this week:
- Faith gave Abraham the confidence to OBEY.God told Abraham to take a huge risk. He called him to leave his home, and to go to a country he didn’t know. Abraham didn’t know where he was going. He didn’t know when he would get there. All he had was a command with a promise. And what happened? Hebrews 11:12tells us: “And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.” God called Abraham to obey, and because his faith allowed him to do so he became the founder of a nation. And of course it is from his descendants that our Messiah was born. What risk is God calling you to my friends? Are you willing to step out to take it?
- Faith gave Moses the confidence to stay FAITHFUL. It’s not always easy to hang in there. Moses knew what that’s like. He made a choice to be mistreated with the people of God instead of enjoying the pleasures of sin for a short season. He looked to God and he looked forward. He persevered because he had a vision for the future.
And of course you know what happened. Because he had the confidence to stay faithful, his people passed through the Red Sea. Because one guy hung in there, two million people were rescued from slavery. And of course it is from these descendants that our Messiah was born. What do you think could happen if you decided not to quit?
Next week we will chat about the Impact of Walking by Faith.
