Encouragement
Moving Forward
© 2008
by
Stephen A. Peterson
Dawn French, 16, fought her parents when she learned from them that they would have to move from Cleveland, Ohio to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The corporate office where her father worked had decided for economic reasons to relocate to Oklahoma thus saving millions of dollars. Yet knowing this, Dawn continued to oppose the move citing a loss of friends, having to change schools and not wishing to live in a Southern state as the major reasons she did not want to move. Her solution—her father needed to get another job that would keep the family and Dawn in Cleveland. No matter what arguments were presented to her Dawn refused to listen or consider her father’s dilemma. She was not going to leave—not now or in the future.
Dawn’s refusal to move forward is not unlike many people to include Christians. An example of forward looking faith is that of Abraham who, through faith, answered God’s call. Whether we know it or not each day we are given forward looking marching orders by God. God literally says to humankind: “Leave your past in the past. Come with Me into territory you have never seen. Leave behind old hatreds; forgive your enemies old or new; reconcile your sins with Me. Leave what made you angry or happy. Dare to take a chance at what I have for you! When I came before Abraham so long ago I did not ask him to leave because what he had. I, his Lord, had more and greater things in mind for him.”
Where will God lead you this year and in coming years? You will only know by setting out on your personal journey with God through prayer and the Sacred Scriptures. The direction was all God would show Abraham in the beginning not the destination. The journey itself, the putting one foot after another in faith, is the great training ground in trust.
What can a Christian learn from Abraham’s faith? The journey to which God called Abraham was challenging. The land around present day Ur in the present day nation state of Iraq is very rough terrain with little water. However, through God’s help and inspiration, Abraham with his family and flocks came to the land promised him.
As earlier indicated your road map is your Bible as you venture into your daily, month and yearly challenges. God’s guidance is progressive and revealing to His faithful. God has always given persons who do not know Him more than they actually deserve. Each place where God takes a person He reveals more and more each step a person take with Him. What God has for that person become clearer in time. Abraham acknowledged God’s revelation on his journey through prayer—his conversations with God. And even though Abraham sinned along the way and failed to trust God, God never left him. God always accepted him back.
The hardest part for people and Christians are no exception, is getting what he or she wants or having an easy journey through their journey of faith. God gave Abraham many tests and hardships not to do him in but to give him a faith check. Abraham died without ever reaching his destination on earth—seeing the Savior himself. But he died in faith,, not in disillusionment—not having received what he was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar. This is the essence of faith. The confident affirmation of what is still—in our time frame with God—the future tense.
The walk of faith is not for those who want quick answers immediate gratification or the desires and inhibitions of the world. Faith is best suited for those for whom the journey is in their hearts and minds IS forward looking and realizes that God’s company is personal and enough for them now and in the future whatever it is He requests of her or him.
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Thank you Steven...I really needed this encouragement.I desire to have such faith as that of Abraham...Keep on encouraging us.
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