A L M A C I A S

HOW FAITHFUL ARE WE?

When we think of faithful people of the Bible, one of the first persons that comes to mind is Abraham. We know that in the Old Testament there are many others who showed tremendous faith during their lives on earth. Nevertheless, we must admit that Abraham was one who demonstrated great faith on more than one occasion. We read in Hebrews 11:8-10, "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. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." It is no wonder that among the heroes of the faith we would find this great servant of God.

What are some of the things that Abraham did which show his great faith, and should also encourage us to also be faithful? First of all, when God appeared unto Abraham, He asked him to do certain things that were going to be very difficult. God asked Abraham to leave his home and to go to a land that Abraham did not know. Abraham was going to have to leave a place of security, a place where he had friends and relatives, a place that he knew, to go to a place that was completely foreign to him. But how did Abraham respond to this call from God? Abraham went and did as the Lord had commanded him to do. We can see Abraham¹s great faith in God not only by what he did, but also by what he did not do. Abraham did not immediately begin questioning God concerning what God was asking him to do. Abraham did not ask if he would find work in this place, or what dangers or problems he might have when he got there. No, Abraham just obeyed and trusted God to take care of the rest.

We can also see the great faith this man of God had in that he was not going alone to this strange place. Abraham was taking his father, his wife, and his nephew with him. So whatever problems or dangers would be there would not only come upon Abraham but would also come upon his family. After Abraham arrived in this land, the land of Canaan, he and his family dwelled in tents for the duration of their stay. Abraham, as well as Isaac and Jacob, never had a permanent residence, but were satisfied to suffer, come what may, for they awaited a better place than this, the place whose Architect is God. Let us learn to be faithful just like Abraham, knowing that we, too, have a place awaiting us.