Hebrews 11:8-12

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

Abraham is an example of someone who received the Lord’s guidance and obeyed at a level unmatched by anyone before or since. Even though we cannot physically see Him, the Lord continues to guide us today, just as He did with Abraham. His guidance is ever-present, and Abraham’s journey provides a blueprint for following the Lord’s purpose and strengthening our faith.

To follow the Lord’s purpose and strengthen our faith, we must first seek and adhere to His direction without concern for its outcome, just as Abraham did. When commanded to leave his homeland, he obeyed without hesitation, entrusting the Lord. Similarly, Daniel obeyed the Lord’s direction to continue praying, even though it meant being thrown into the lions’ den. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego obeyed the Lord’s guidance to enter the fiery pit without hesitation, trusting Him regardless of the consequences. These examples show that we can only overcome hardship when we follow the Lord’s direction, while relying on our strength leads to failure.

Secondly, Abraham’s faith remained steadfast despite unmet expectations. Despite God’s pledge of the land to Abraham and his descendants through Isaac, he lived there as a foreigner. Abraham did not see the unfulfilled expectations as God deceiving him but as a sign that he was not ready for the Lord’s blessings. He firmly believed that God was preparing him for something greater than Canaan. Abraham focused on obeying the Lord rather than how his faithfulness would be rewarded.

Thirdly, Abraham never doubted the Lord’s power. Even though Abraham and Sarah were advanced in age and it was impossible for Sarah to conceive, he never doubted the Lord’s power to make it happen. For nearly 30 years without a son, Abraham maintained his trust in God’s promise, never allowing doubt to creep in, unwavering in his conviction that God would fulfill His promise through Sarah.

The Lord accompanies us at every moment, shaping each instance of our lives to guide us on the journey of nurturing a complete and perfect faith. During these moments, we should emulate Abraham in the following three ways: obey the Lord unconditionally without concern for the outcome, never waver in our faith, even though the Lord’s promise to us has yet to be fulfilled, and never doubt the Lord’s power to deliver on His promises.

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