The Daily Struggle

This devotional is an interview with Abraham - the father of our faith.  It draws out, through some supposed questions what it must have been like for him to live in a polytheistic culture and trust God.  It explored what it must have been like for Abraham to nearly sacrifice his son, not knowing that God would eventually stop him from sacrificing his son.  What faith that must have been.  What internal struggles he must have been feeling as a father.  I often wonder if he ever shared this with his wife?  I know he had to share it with her afterwards.  The chances of Isaac keeping this thing quiet after he returned home must have been slim.  But would he have gone as far as he did with the sacrifice if Sarah had known what the plan was?  I’m gonna guess no - otherwise I think she would have at least gone with them to say goodbye to him.  Also, he didn’t tell Isaac of the plans until it was time.  Telling Sarah would have given him too much information.  What a struggle that must have been for Abraham.  Today, when we think God has moved us to do or say something, we should check this with other Christians we know and trust.  Ones that we know for sure are walking with the Lord and reading his word.  In my church right now we are dealing with a very serious situation where someone in our congregation is telling everyone that they feel God is telling them something- but this person doesn’t really care what anyone else thinks.  Even though other Christians are challenging him to find biblical support for what he’s saying, he’s still making outrageous statements and it’s causing a divide in our church.  At this stage in my life, meaning being a part of a church in conflict with itself.  I’m struck between having admiration for Abraham because he acted so faithfully and wondering if he was sure it was really God.   I see some crazies in my own church acting on what they believe God is telling them to do.  They feel admirable and think that the conflict that is arising from other Christians, who are confronting them with logic and biblical knowledge, is all a part of the trials the bible speaks of when you stand up for the sake of Christ.  At least we have the Bible which clearly shows us the character of Christ and give us clear guidance.  Abraham had no bible to look at and he was pretty much the only Christian - who could he seek assistance from?  Everyone would think he was the crazy one!

The questions from today’s devotional are:

What tests of faith are you facing right now?  Well obviously, from the ranting that you just read above, I’m struggling with the riff within our church.  Reading this story makes me a little more nervous.  This story clearly shows that Abraham is acting on what he thinks God wants him to do, even though it sounds crazy.  Also, he doesn’t seem to check the idea with anyone around him.  That’s the same “Claim to Fame” that someone in our church is claiming, yet what he is espousing is clearly not biblical, and is very divisive to our church.   I am struggling with what role God wants me to play in this situation.  I have personally set down with this person to work through the issues, but they are being illogical.  I don’t know what can be done.  Honestly, I expect a split very soon in our congregation.  These people, who are moving unbiblically, are moving into key leadership positions in our church - I don’t think I can follow the direction they are going.  I am very disappointed the rest of our congregation is so willing to support this craziness.  I am finding out that my church is not the church I thought it was.

In what ways has God been faithful to his promises with you in the past?  Wow, where do I begin.  God has been so faithful to me.  He has delivered me from many horrible situations - work and personal.  From my twin sons being born 3 months early to starting a new career, God has shown me, that if I choose to follow him instead of this world, that he does have plans to prosper me.  Prosper, not just in monetary amounts - although that’s been great too - but in relationships, and contentment.  I have been so blessed.  At times, I worry that God has been so good to me, that I have used up some finite amount of goodness that was supposed to be spread out over my entire lifetime.  But thank God that he is good and his love knows no end.  Thank you God for all your blessings and fulfilled promises.

How can you develop a greater trust with God and his promises?  First of all, I think you have to have an intimate knowledge of the bible and what these promises are that he has made to you.  Perhaps you don’t even recognize some of the ways God is keeping those promises already in your life.  Just knowing that would increase you faith in him to keep his word.  Also, increasing your prayer life would be very helpful.  Trust is about relationships.  The more of a relationship you have with someone, the more you can trust them.  (i.e. your best friend, spouse, etc…)  To have a better relationship with God is no different than bettering a relationship with a friend of yours - you simply need to spend more time together and engage in conversation.  What kind of conversation can you have with God?  Well any good conversation involves talking and listening.  We all know how you talk to God - prayer (Thanking, worshipping, supplicating, making requests) but how about listening to God.  This can be done by reading his word, and by sitting and literally asking him to make his will known to you.  It might not always come in the method we think it will, but it will come.  God seeks to be in a relationship with us, more than we seek one with him.  He is always there for us, he just spends most of his time waiting for us to notice him. 

God,  I apologize to you.  At times, I feel like your fair-weather friend.  I do not spend the time I need to with you.  My relationship with you could be so much better if I would simply spend more time with you.  Help me Lord to spend more time with you, listening to you, reading your word.  Speak to me, Lord.  Especially in this situation at church.  Tell me what role and direction you want me and our church to take.  I fully submit to your will on this Lord.  Pleas help me understand what it is.  I pray this in Jesus name, amen.

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