Food for thought...... We Inherit The Promises Only Through Faith, Patience, And Obedience! For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the Saints, and do minister. And we desire that everyone of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he cold swear by no greater, he swear by himself. Saying, surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying, I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. (Hebrews 6:10-15) In the book of Genesis we read how God promised Abram/Abraham that he and his wife Sarai/Sarah would have a son; even though Sarah was well past child bearing age. That little detail did not matter to God however, and in due season when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 years of age; Sarah conceived and bare Abraham a son named Isaac. (Genesis 21:1-5) The Bible says, Delight thy self also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. (Psalm 37:4-5) A lot of the time when we submit over selves unto the Lord we are required to move from one place to another and leave behind everything that we have known up to that point. Why? Because the Bible says, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doeth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalm 1:1-6) God requires that His people come out and be separate from the world. (2 Corinthians 6:17) A lot of the time the only way that can happen is to move us from one place to another. God wanted Abraham to depend solely on Him and in the twenty five years that passed between the time Abraham left his homeland until his son Isaac was born; Abraham learned to do just that. So much so, that when it came time to sacrifice Isaac; Abraham set about to do so without hesitation. Abraham told his servants .....I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you. (Genesis 22:5) And Hebrews says, By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Hebrews 11:17-19) After twenty five years of waiting on God, Abraham had learned what we all have to learn. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:2-6) And Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (James 1:12) The disciples had to learn this same lesson. They spent three and a half years learning everything they could from Jesus; going out in His power and Authority. (Luke 9:1) At some point however, the disciples had to grow up and get the power for themselves. Jesus had taught them everything He could and He had to go back to Heaven so the Holy Ghost could come. Jesus told them, And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:49) The disciples had to grow up and learn to stand on their own two feet (with God of course.) Then they had to wait for their own power so they could be witnesses unto all the world. Jesus said, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8) The disciples had to wait, as do we all to be endued with power from on high. Then and only then were they in a position to go forth and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15) Jesus said, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (John 12:32) When we stop lifting ourselves up and start lifting up Christ we will get a whole lot more accomplished! The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant. (Psalm 25:14)
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 01:42:03 +0000