Bob
Hebrews 11:9 says, “By faith Abraham went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.”
This verse completes the twofold pattern of Abraham’s journey of faith: In obedience to God’s call Abraham first went out (verse 8) and then went in (verse 9). By faith he went out from his father's homeland and by faith he went to settle in the land that God was giving to him and his children as an inheritance. Just by listening to God, Abraham found himself a long way from home and family. When he came into this strange land there was no welcoming committee, no travel information centers, no one to show him around to the best field and wells for his flocks. He had continually to live as a foreigner; some of us have had a little taste of this experience. More than this, Abraham had to live as a foreigner in a land God promised to give to him as an inheritance. He had to live out his days as an exile; he had to navigate Canaan by the same old road map that had brought him from Haran: by faith, by faith, by faith.
Hebrews 11:10 says, “For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.”
The faith in Abraham’s heart was an unwavering trust in the promises of God. This was a trust that did not require daily signs and wonders yet continually scanned the bushes for a ram. Such trust could be described as a world view, but in the life of Abraham faith is portrayed more like a GPS: a Guiding Purpose System. Now, Abraham was a herdsman, so he had to find pasture and water for his flocks, but that was not his guiding purpose. God’s purpose for Abraham was expressed in these words: “he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” This purpose stands in stark contrast to the city of man described in Genesis 11, where the men of Shinar declared “let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves….” Knowing that that city was destined for destruction, Abraham aimed for an eternal city, a city of God.
Each one of us, like Abraham, is on a journey; the question you must ask yourself is, “am I on a journey of faith or am I simply wandering about in the woods?” The answer to that question lies in your purpose and ultimately in your identity. During my time at Taylor my search for purpose at times lost its focus and direction, and I would compensate by demanding certain things and by declaring certain things about myself (and hoping others would agree). On good days, by God’s grace, I stopped worrying about what kind of a college professor I was, and started asking Why am I college professor?If you haven’t asked yourself a question like this lately, it’s time to ask! Ask yourself Why am I a student?, Why am I a teacher?, Why am I...
In other words, find your ultimate purpose and let that guide your daily purpose, by faith, by faith, by faith. In my own case, asking the question Why am I a professor? has led us to the next stage in our journey of faith.
Chris Prayer
Lord, You give the gift of faith for salvation. You continue to give us faith in order that we may hear Your voice and follow the path You lay out before us. Thank You for the work You are doing in the life of each person here. You have a purpose and plan for each of us. We may not know exactly where you are leading or why You are leading in a certain way, but we know You. You are good. You are love. You are faithful.
I pray for those who have been sensing Your call yet have been unsure about it. Show them the next step to take. Fill them with faith to take that step even though the whole path is not lit before them. Give them a sense of wonder and excitement that they are part of an eternal, heavenly Kingdom plan to bring glory and honor to You, Lord Jesus Christ. Remind them of that during the dark times and hard moments and during the everyday activities as well. May we all live for Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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