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Abraham obeyed, not knowing where he went,

He trusted in God, time with Him he spent,

“I will go”, He said to God, wherever he was sent,

His faith brought blessings more super than Clark Kent.

Faith in God should be more regular than sunrise and sunset,

God protection is more fortified than a trademark or a patent,

God cares and loves you more than your earthly parent,

So, have faith in God and love Him, one hundred percent.

God told Abraham to get out of his country, out of his comfort zone,

Abraham obeyed God and left the place of Haran where he was born,

He answered to God’s call even though he had no smartphone,

He obeyed God, went forward and left home sweet home.

Like a sturdy foundation, faith supports us,

Like the president of nation, faith should lead us,

Like an unbridled imagination, faith should live in us,

Like a steady location, faith should be steady in us.

Hebrews 11:8 (KJV) – “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

This means that Abraham trusted in God and believed that God had the best in store for him; that is why he obeyed. He obeyed, unaware of the rewards or consequences. Faith is trusting in God despite harsh and challenging circumstances and not arguing with Him. Faith needs to come first, then understanding later. In other words, faith should guide your understanding, Hebrews 11:3 – “Through Faith we understand.”

• When God tells you to return His tithe, don’t argue with Him saying, “I’ve got a huge debt. I’m a widow and got a family to feed,” just Obey.
• When God tells you to keep the Sabbath holy, don’t give excuses, for example, “It is my final semester to graduate, and there’s only one class remaining which is on the Sabbath,” Obey.
• When God tells you to stop committing adultery, don’t give excuses like “I have no husband or wife of my own” Obey.
• When God tells you to stop fornicating, don’t say, “I have only one girlfriend or boyfriend, and we are faithful to each other” Obey
• When God tells you to stop drinking, don’t give excuses like, “How I’m I going to handle this stress and depression that I’m facing” Obey.

Revelation 22:14 (KJV) – “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”

Hebrews 11:8 (KJV) – “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

Let’s look at the word ‘after’ in this context – When you see the word after, you automatically understand that there was a before. Before precedes after, and after succeeds before. For an action to happen after, there must be a prior action.

Abraham was to receive the land as an inheritance after obeying God and going to that land. It means that for Abraham to receive the blessing that God had in store for him, he had to obey God first. There are blessings in every commandment of God. Everything God has told us to do in the Bible is for our benefit. If we obey God, we benefit ourselves, not God, as many think.

If Abraham did not obey God and gone to that land, he wouldn’t have inherited it. If he had questioned God’s reason for commanding him to do that and tried to understand before applying faith, he would have lost on that blessing.

Let’s look at the phrase ‘obeyed, and he went out’ – If the Bible said ‘obeyed’ and left it at that, it would be enough. If the Bible said, ‘he went out’ without the word obey, it would still be enough. But the Bible included these two almost similar phrases as one phrase to create an emphasis on obedience. This phrase means that Abraham did what God told him to do 100%, not 70% or 99%, like some of us.

The phrase also implies that Abraham made a decision in his mind to obey God and followed the decision with actions. Many people feel convicted by a sermon but still won’t obey. At the same time, many people do many righteous acts but miss out on just one because it’s uncomfortable to follow everything.

Let’s look at the importance of doing the best for God:

Hebrews 11:4 (KJV) – “By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it, he being dead yet speaketh.”

Cain and Abel had gone to worship God, but God accepted Abel’s worship/sacrifice and rejected Cain’s.

Genesis 4:4-5 (KJV) – “⁴ And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: ⁵ But unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.”

The only worship accepted by God is worship done in truth and spirit. Doing exactly what God has said, not adding or removing anything, is essential to a Christian life because that is one way to portray faith and the only way to please God. Hebrews 11:6 – “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him.”

Let’s look again at the phrase ‘obeyed, and he went out.’ This means he obeyed God immediately with no delay. If he had delayed, he would have delayed or missed out on the blessings God had in store for him. Some people are not in light of the truth and are living ignorantly. Therefore, God understands and gives them grace till they come to the knowledge of the truth. Others will listen to the truth and get convinced that it is true but decide to delay.

For example, “I’m 21 years old and still young. Let me have fun now and enjoy my youth, I will stop sinning when I reach 30, and I’m ready to settle down” or “I’m well convinced that the seventh day is the Sabbath, but I will start keeping the Sabbath when I get a new job, because the job that I’m having requires me to work on the Sabbath” or “I’m heavily in debt almost going bankrupt, wait I finish paying my debts then I will return the tithe.”

Luke 9:59-60 (KJV) – “⁵⁹ And He said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. ⁶⁰ Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.”

In these two verses, Jesus told a man to follow Him, but he chose to bury his father first before following Jesus. Burying his father was a good thing because he loved his father and also as a show of respect, but following Jesus was more essential than burying his father, which means that the man loved his father more than Jesus.

What does the Bible say about this? Matthew 10:37 (KJV) – “He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” The man esteemed his father’s burial as more important than the kingdom of God. Keep in mind the man did not refuse to follow Jesus directly. He instead chose to delay. Take note that when you delay making a decision, you’ve already decided because delay in itself is a decision.

The fact that Abraham obeyed immediately without delay does not mean that Abraham didn’t have other important things to do. It means he committed to following God first. Matthew 6:33 – “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.”

Let’s look at Luke 9:59-60 and try to understand the text deeper. The person that is being buried in what state is he? The answer is simple, the person being buried is dead. Let’s keep that in mind, then jump to John 14:6 (KJV) – “Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”

Keeping John 14:6 in mind, let’s go back and look at the meaning of Luke 9:59-60, Jesus, who is Life, told the man to follow Him, but the man chose to follow the dead first before following Life. Well, this is a decision we’ve unknowingly made innumerable times in our lives. Most times, we choose to follow the ways of death than the ways of life. Romans 6:23 (KJV) – “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Let’s take a microscopic look at “not knowing whither he went.” In other words, Abraham did not know where he went, whether it was a good or a bad place. He had no family in the land he went to and did not know anyone there. All this means that Abraham was ready to obey God even in uncomfortable circumstances. This sentence also implies that Abraham obeyed God without question. Most of us lose on blessings because we always want to ask God the reason behind everything, He is telling us, and if we see no reason to obey, we choose to disobey.

Therefore, in summary, these are the lessons we learn from Hebrews 11:8:

1. Always do what God has told you to do entirely and wholeheartedly, whether it is favoring you or not.

2. Obey God without questioning. That is the beginning of true faith.

3. Obey God immediately with no delay.

4. There are blessings in obedience (Read Deuteronomy 28:1-13, Matthew 5, and Revelation 22:14).

“Christ came to this earth to show the human race how to obey God. He might have remained in heaven, and from there given exact rules for man’s guidance. But he did not do this. In order that we might make no mistake, He took our nature, and in it lived a life of perfect obedience. He obeyed in humanity, ennobling and elevating humanity by obedience. He lived in obedience to God, that not only by word of mouth, but by His every action, He might honor the law. By so doing, He not only declared that we ought to obey, but showed us how to obey.” – Signs of the Times, January 25, 1899, Ellen G. White.

Make a firm decision to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4), and encounter God’s blessings.

In conclusion, Ecclesiastes 12:13 (KJV) says – “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

GOD BLESS YOU!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I come before you with hearts open to your guidance and wisdom. I thank you for the lessons on faith and obedience as seen in the life of Abraham. Help me to trust you even in challenging circumstances, to obey without hesitation, and to prioritize your commandments. Grant me the strength to follow your path with unwavering faith and to seek your will above all else. May I find blessings in my obedience and honor you with my actions. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activity

1. Self-Reflection: Take some time to reflect on your life and identify areas where you might have been hesitant or made excuses for not fully obeying God’s commandments.
2. Commit to Immediate Obedience: Commit to obey and ask God to help you in your weak areas.
3. Study and Share: Study the relevant scriptures that support your decision for obedience. Share these scriptures and your commitment with a trusted friend or mentor for accountability.
4. Prayerful Reflection: Spend time in prayer, seeking God’s guidance, strength, and understanding as you step out in faith to obey His command.
5. Record Progress: Keep a journal of your journey in obedience. Write down the challenges you face, the blessings you receive, and how your faith is growing through this process.

Remember that by living in obedience to God’s commandments, you are fulfilling your duty and drawing closer to Him. This will open the door to blessings and a deeper relationship with your Heavenly Father.

Author: Mark Alex   

Email: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com 

Phone Number: +254710633247   

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