Sermon # 7 - Wait On God Series

We read in Genesis 12:4, When Abram was seventy-five years old, he started out from Haran, as the LORD had told him to do; and Lot went with him. (GNB)

When Abram was seventy five years old, in obedience to what the Lord told him to do, he departed from Haran. When God spoke to Abram, he willingly left all that belonged to him, his people, his possessions, and walked out in obedience to God’s command.

Our God is one who gives counsel, but we must have a heart to receive it from Him, and a will to obey it. Those who live in obedience to the word of God are assured of being honored by God. All of us have desires in our hearts that we want to see fulfilled, those things that appear good and right in our thinking. However, the Lord is seeking for those who are ready to let go of their ambitions, to accomplish His will through their lives. We must seek the Lord to have the strength to heed His counsel, and effectuate the same.

Sadly today there are many who are so caught up with relationships, traditions and opinions of society, that they are unable to obey the Lord, and hence forfeit His blessings in their lives. When God created Adam and Eve, He blessed them. So also it is God’s will to bless each one of us, but it is only when we persevere in obedience, can we be recipients of God’s blessings.

Abraham went out by faith

It is written in Hebrews 11:8, “It was faith that made Abraham obey when God called him to go out to a country which God had promised to give him. He left his own country without knowing where he was going.” (GNB)

Abraham had absolute faith in God who called him, which resulted in him being willing to leave behind all that was his, to go to a country that God promised him. When God called Abraham, he implicitly obeyed without questioning God. Abraham obeyed God, not knowing where he was going. Abraham did not enquire of the Lord as to the details of the place He was taking him to, but simply journeyed out in complete obedience, and trust in God.

There are so many who repeatedly hear the word of God, but are struggling to obey His word. However, if we would like to be sure of what lies ahead of us, before we take a step of obedience, we are most certainly not walking by faith. We must be willing to submit to the Lord, and obey His word as He instructs us daily. Some have walked in obedience to the Lord earlier, but have chosen to ignore the admonition of God, and have thereby landed up with much trouble and confusion. For instance, when the Lord is prompting someone to take baptism, and they are putting it off for the sake of family, relations or traditions, they cannot experience the blessings that God intends to bestow on them. Instead of being worried about what will happen in the future, to us, our family or children, it would be good to decide to obey the Lord instantly, as and when He speaks to us. When we do so, the Lord will surely takes us to the next level in our spiritual journey.

We live in times when even to plan a holiday, people want to google everything about the place, weather, location, and place of stay before they even decide to venture out. That is not faith, for real faith is to undertake to go out like Abraham did, not knowing anything about what lies ahead of us.

God appeared and spoke to Abraham

We read in Genesis 12:7, The LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "This is the country that I am going to give to your descendants." Then Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. (GNB)

It was only when Abraham walked out of Haran, placing his faith in God, did God appear to Abraham, and declare His promises to him. If Abraham had not journeyed out with faith and obedience, it is doubtful if he would have ever heard God speak to him. Abraham heard, he believed, obeyed God, and it was only then that God told him that this was the country that he was going to give his descendants. Abraham was so in awe of God, and His wonderful deeds that he built an altar to the Lord in that very place. God told Abraham that this land would be given to his descendants, but did not tell him when he would have a child of his own.

We must listen carefully to the word of God to fully understand His purposes for our lives. Often the answers from God may seem to be delayed, but let us rest assured that the Lord will accomplish everything in our lives in His perfect time. Every good and perfect gift comes from God above, and He will never procrastinate, but will certainly bless us in due time.