I have always found the relationship between Abraham and God encouraging. The main thing that I found encouraging about him was that he believed God when being tested in two very hard trials . As I read of his experience regarding leaving his country I could see that there was no questioning, or fear of the consequences, of what God was asking him to do, and no reasoning with the carnal mind to prevent him from doing what he was being told to do.
This story of Abraham leaving his country was what I felt was being pointed out to me many times before moving to this area.
God accompanies His word with signs and there were little things that appeared to go with this at the time we were looking for a house to move to, with no real intention of coming this distance from the town we lived in. I love the blackbird and, shortly before we moved, the man across the road from us cut down lots of trees in his garden that attracted many blackbirds that used to sing beautifully every morning. The blackbirds disappeared once the trees were cut down and I missed their song greatly.
Just before we left, a new lady came to a ladies meeting I attended every week, she was called Meryl. Our neighbour at the new property is called Meryl, the lady across the road is called Merle and the pastors wife at the new church I prayed about going to, who said to me when I first met her 'I feel like I have known you all my life.' is called Meryl. These names mean 'blackbird', and there are lots of blackbirds in and around the garden of our present home.
In Genesis ch.22 God tested Abraham by instructing him to take his son to be sacrificed. Abraham obeyed God without question, but he knew that God had promised him that his descendants would come through Isaac. Genesis ch.6 vs.13-15 'For when God made promise to Abraham because He could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself, saying Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee, And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. God let Abraham go so far and then said to him 'Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.' Genesis ch.22 v..12
This incident in particular has always encouraged me to believe that what we are promised by God when we are born again in Jesus is granted through our faith in Him and that I must not worry if hard trials come my way, but I must carry on trusting God for those promises. One of the verses the Lord spoke to me very early on in my walk with Him was 'If you love Me, keep my commands.' John ch.14 v.15.' and I have learned, and am still learning, that there is no need to let fear and uncertainty cause me to allow my carnal mind to persuade me to do things according to my old worldly ways instead of Gods ways.
I have no need to worry about material things if I put my trust in the Lord as Matthew ch.6 vs.31-33 says 'Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.' and I have to say that in all the thirty years that I have known the Lord He has provided for myself and my husband, and I have found that a person can be content with little or with much when the Lord is in their life. Admittedly, many times I have found it hard and have made many mistakes while learning, but provided I keep my eyes upon Him and ask forgiveness when I get it wrong, then my peace is restored to me.
Proverbs ch.22 v.6 'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.' reminds me of the fact that as I am growing in the Lord gradually being taught His ways, and mature in Him, His ways will become my ways. We go from the milk to the strong meat, and He fully understands that we are flesh while guiding us on our journey, encouraging us to build one another up in the Spirit through the gifts He has given each one of us 'until we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.' Ephesians ch.4 v.13. I was reminded of this scripture last week when I put a bunch of daffodils into a glass vase which has the shape of daffodils cut into it, all of us being made into the image of Him whom we are in.
This story of Abraham leaving his country was what I felt was being pointed out to me many times before moving to this area.
God accompanies His word with signs and there were little things that appeared to go with this at the time we were looking for a house to move to, with no real intention of coming this distance from the town we lived in. I love the blackbird and, shortly before we moved, the man across the road from us cut down lots of trees in his garden that attracted many blackbirds that used to sing beautifully every morning. The blackbirds disappeared once the trees were cut down and I missed their song greatly.
Just before we left, a new lady came to a ladies meeting I attended every week, she was called Meryl. Our neighbour at the new property is called Meryl, the lady across the road is called Merle and the pastors wife at the new church I prayed about going to, who said to me when I first met her 'I feel like I have known you all my life.' is called Meryl. These names mean 'blackbird', and there are lots of blackbirds in and around the garden of our present home.
In Genesis ch.22 God tested Abraham by instructing him to take his son to be sacrificed. Abraham obeyed God without question, but he knew that God had promised him that his descendants would come through Isaac. Genesis ch.6 vs.13-15 'For when God made promise to Abraham because He could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself, saying Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee, And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. God let Abraham go so far and then said to him 'Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.' Genesis ch.22 v..12
This incident in particular has always encouraged me to believe that what we are promised by God when we are born again in Jesus is granted through our faith in Him and that I must not worry if hard trials come my way, but I must carry on trusting God for those promises. One of the verses the Lord spoke to me very early on in my walk with Him was 'If you love Me, keep my commands.' John ch.14 v.15.' and I have learned, and am still learning, that there is no need to let fear and uncertainty cause me to allow my carnal mind to persuade me to do things according to my old worldly ways instead of Gods ways.
I have no need to worry about material things if I put my trust in the Lord as Matthew ch.6 vs.31-33 says 'Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.' and I have to say that in all the thirty years that I have known the Lord He has provided for myself and my husband, and I have found that a person can be content with little or with much when the Lord is in their life. Admittedly, many times I have found it hard and have made many mistakes while learning, but provided I keep my eyes upon Him and ask forgiveness when I get it wrong, then my peace is restored to me.
Proverbs ch.22 v.6 'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.' reminds me of the fact that as I am growing in the Lord gradually being taught His ways, and mature in Him, His ways will become my ways. We go from the milk to the strong meat, and He fully understands that we are flesh while guiding us on our journey, encouraging us to build one another up in the Spirit through the gifts He has given each one of us 'until we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.' Ephesians ch.4 v.13. I was reminded of this scripture last week when I put a bunch of daffodils into a glass vase which has the shape of daffodils cut into it, all of us being made into the image of Him whom we are in.
