Today, Walk By Faith
Faith calls for followers of Jesus to step out, to stand up, and to take steps forward—even when we might not know where the steps will lead us, even when we cannot see the future, and even when we are afraid. It is then we are reminded how the Bible continually reminds us how we are TO NOT BE AFRAID BUT TO WALK BY FAITH.
“By faith Abraham, when he was called,
(The Letter to the Hebrews 11:8 NASB)
obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance;
and he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
If we stop reading there, then we may not recall how Abraham was called to obey, we may not remember where Abraham went, and we may not even recall what inheritance he received because of his faith in God. So, we read on, going the distance to see, to remember, to recall, and to be encouraged.
“By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise,
(The Letter to the Hebrews 11:9 NASB)
as in a foreign land,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob,
fellow heirs of the same promise;”
As we have discovered, Father Abraham was called by God to go to a place where he knew no one, to dwell as a foreigner in a land where he was unfamiliar, and to remain surrounded by others who also went with him, for the promise of God was theirs to inherit.
“for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”
(The Letter to the Hebrews 11:10 NASB)
The follower of God does not fit into this world but seems to be more of a “misfit.” The believer in Christ (to the unbeliever) is truly odd and abnormal in their walk throughout life because the ones who do not know God see believers following a God who they cannot see, performing tasks in Jesus’ name, but scratch their heads, exclaiming: “Who is this Jesus, and why does He matter so much?”
We do not know if we will be totally alone, separated from our families, when we face our death day.
We do not know if the time of our passing will be one of great pain and suffering.
We do not know if Satan will confront us, even in our last moments, our last breath here on earth.
We do not know if dementia will steal our mind.
We do not know if our finances will last until our final day.
We do not know if we will live long or if we will die this week, or even this very day, as the Lord calls us home.
Yes, there is so much we do NOT know, BUT THERE IS SO MUCH WE DO KNOW!
We DO KNOW that each day we arise is a day closer to the day we will see Jesus, our Savior.
We DO KNOW that the Lord will come to us and He will lead us home to heaven.
We DO KNOW that it is because we have chosen to believe in the work of Jesus on the cross and in the grave that we have received the salvation of God.
We DO KNOW that even if Satan attacks us on our deathbed, still the Prince of Peace will lead us home.
Yes, there is so much, like Abraham, that we have assurance of, for the promises of God remain sure and true. In the Bible, we are reminded how Jesus went up on the mountain, had the people sit down, and then spoke these words to them:
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
(The Gospel According to Matthew 5: 8 NASB)
Just like Abraham, we too are called by God to know His Only Son as our Savior.
Just as our ancestor, Abraham, we are called to obey, to go, to receive the Lord’s inheritance, looking toward the promise of heaven, by our faith.
We read God’s Word, seeing how Abraham remained in a foreign land, dwelling in tents, and today, we dwell inside our earthly tent (our body) and live in a foreign land (earth), living alongside other believers who, too, are “fellow heirs of the same promise;”
The Young Escape sings a melody that speaks directly to today’s thoughts. Pause to listen to “Not Done Yet,” recalling how we, like Abraham, are to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we look toward “the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”
When we trust Jesus as our Savior, the enormity of His Truth helps us see the spiritual truth: Christ’s sacrifice of Himself on the cross was sufficient. The more we ingest of Jesus Christ, the more He comes to dwell in our heart of faith. This is our abiding reality!
In closing, if you have ever met me, then you have heard me say, “I want to live until the age of 103,” and I do wish to live long, for I have grandchildren to still meet and I have not yet accomplished all the Lord has for me to do. There may be others who I have not yet met, those who remain lost, who will listen to my testimony, to my faith spoken aloud about the mysteries of the Gospel.
Truly, there is much life for us to live, MAYBE.
Yes, there exists many tasks that our hands have yet to do, MAYBE.
We may look at our family genetics and notice how our ancestors lived to be old or how they died young. We may peer backward and forward wondering how many days of our lives remain. Nonetheless, whether our days to come are many or few, we are to walk, as Abraham, in faith, asking our Heavenly Father God to help us live this day fully obedient. We are to ask Jesus, our Savior, to help us give ourselves away to others, showing kindness, serving others as He demonstrated and as we read inside God’s Holy Word. As we step into this day, we are to ask God’s Spirit to guide us to give us boldness, tamping down, even squashing our fear, as we proclaim Christ Jesus to the lost. Christians are called to walk in faith and to keep walking in The Way until Jesus calls us home. Then, as the psalmist David reminds us, those who know God through Jesus, His Only Son—
“They [will] drink their fill of the abundance of Your house;
(The Psalms 36: 8-9 NASB)
And You [the LORD will] give them to drink of the river of Your delights.
For with You [GOD] is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.”