The Demonstration of Faith

“One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it.” (Oswald Chambers, quoted in Our Daily Bread, March 4, 1993).

Obedience
  1. Noah obeyed even when he experienced rejection from others around him (v. 7). Although it seemed foolish to the people, God commanded Noah to build a huge boat in the middle of dry land. Since no one at that time had ever seen a flood, Noah’s actions must have generated a great deal of interest and ridicule and made him seem strange to his neighbors. In fact, in Noah’s day, the people were involved in everyday activities and completely ignored Noah’s witness (II Peter 2:5). If you obey God, don’t be surprised if others regard you as “different.” Remember your obedience makes their disobedience stand out also.
  2. Abraham obeyed when he did not know when God would fulfill His promises (vv. 8-10). God called Abraham and Sarah to leave their homeland in Ur of the Chaldees and to journey to an unknown land. They believed God, obeyed  Him and went. This act involved great faith, for they left family and friends to go to a place they had never seen, not knowing what it was like or how to get there. They lived in tents because they had to be ready to move whenever God spoke. Even though Abraham received the promise of this land, he never  possessed it during his life time. The only property he ever owned in Canaan was his burial plot in Machpelah (Gen. 23:1-20). Still he continued to look for a city that God would build (v. 10). By faith he expected that city; so he never returned to Ur. (Read Gen. 18).
  3. Sarah doubted at first when God told her she was going to have a son in her old age, but afterward she believed (vv. 11-12). Sarah was a woman who had been barren all her life, and now she was over ninety  years old. Yet, both Abraham and Sarah believed that God would perform a miracle and give them a son just as He promised He would do. As a result the whole Jewish nation is the product of a miracle birth. (Read Gen. 18).

Application

As I obey God I should never be surprised if others regard me as “different.” My obedience will make their disobedience stand out. I just need to remember that if God asks me to do something He will give me the necessary strength to carry out the task.

Hebrews 11:7-12 (English Standard Version)


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