Abraham. When it comes to the subject of faith, he is “the guy” in the Bible. He’s the MVP, the rockstar, the OG! Throughout Scripture Abraham is synonymous with faith. When we place our trust in Jesus, we become one of Father Abraham’s children. “I am one of them, and so are you, so let’s just praise the Lord!” Most of you got that reference, but if not, please keep reading anyway!
In Hebrews 11:8-10 we read:
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
In this passage, there are three steps that Abraham took in his walk of faith. They are a pattern, or a blueprint for us today.
1. He Left Something
In our passage, Abraham is called by God to go to “a place that he would later receive”. In other words, God’s call to Abraham was to leave everything he knew. He was to take his family, pack the camels up, and start a journey. He had to leave friends, wealth, home, security, comfort, control, all of it behind. To top it off, he is instructed to go to an unknown destination. Our passage said, “he did not know where he was going”. Basically, God said, I’ve given you a promise and I’m with you, but I want you to just start walking, and I’ll show you where to go once you start. Abraham left everything behind. No wonder he is referred to as the “father of the faith”. A key I see in this for us is that we can’t get to where we are going, until we leave where we are. That sounds so simplistic to say, but a little more complicated to live out. I really believe many Christians never get to their destiny, because they are stuck in their current situation. You can’t get to where you are going, until you leave where you are!
2. He Lived in Waiting
So, he’s obedient and he follows God. Surely God will reward that faithfulness. He does indeed, but not nearly as quickly as I would have liked that story to be written. Side Note: Even in our obedience, sometimes we are expecting quick results from God. “Hey God, I’ve done what you said, it’s been a month now, time to show me that ‘next thing'”. Sound familiar? In our passage, Abraham made his home “like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents”. Once he got to the destination, he was now an outcast. He was a stranger. He even lived in a non permanent environment. Don’t miss this. Abraham came from a place where he was well off. He had land, friends, clout, prestige, and comfort. He left at God’s calling, and now he’s a weirdo, outcast, stranger in a far off land, living in a tent. I really believe there is no harder discipline in the Christian life than waiting. Two steps forward, then three steps back. There are times in my life where it seemed the waiting lasted forever. A key to remember in waiting periods is that God is at work. He is simultaneously doing two things at once. He’s preparing the promise for you, and He’s preparing you for the promise. It’s always a time of preparation. For us, we don’t have any control over the promise part, that’s Gods side of the road. But, we do have a say in the person part. He can prepare you quickly, slowly, or maybe even never for the promise. Our faith, listening, obedience, and patience play a big role. For us this passage is also a reminder that we are strangers here on earth. This whole thing that we call life is actually one big waiting room. Scratch that, it’s better described as a training room. We are in preparation for our ultimate destiny in Heaven.
3. He Looked Forward
In our passage we read that he was “looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” This is how Abraham survived for years in the waiting. The is how he handled the situation. Where he looked made all the difference. He was looking to Heaven, but he wasn’t going there yet. He just had his eyes there. For you and I, looking at Heaven helps us to live better here on Earth. If all we see is Earth, then this is all there is. Our view has to be bigger. This life is about more than me, more than you. When we look to Heaven, and Heaven informs Earth it’s almost like a superpower. That power from above is joining me here on Earth. This is what helps us make it from “tent to tent”. This world is passing away, and we shouldn’t hold onto it too tightly. Now, a side note is needed. We are to enjoy this world. God gave us life, and emotions, and senses for a purpose. Life is to be enjoyed, but it’s not all that there is. The apostle Paul said it best in Colossians 3:1-2
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
We are to put our emotions and our thoughts above. We aren’t to dwell on the things of this world. It’s not always easy, and we may not always get it right. But, when we can make that shift in perspective it changes everything.
Abraham lived by faith. He was 75 years old when he left his home and set out in the direction God called him. When he was 100 years old the destiny was fulfilled. For 25 years, Abraham was waiting on the promise. To get to our destiny, the blueprint still stands. You have to leave something, you have to live in the waiting, and you have to look forward. Faith isn’t always easy, and faith can be risky, but faith has a reward!