Spiritual Giant of Faith

Abraham is a Spiritual giant to me.   I have been drawn to the story of Abraham and Sarah for many years and the more that I read about them and Abraham individually, the more connected to his story I feel.  

Tonight I was reading Romans 4 and came across verse 13 and once again here is Abraham.   Though most of verse four seems to be about Abraham, from what I can see, but I haven’t made it past verse 16, so I could be wrong. 

Abraham seems to be the stick to which people have measured themselves against, when it comes to keeping the laws.  I personally, found this to be a bit humorous.    In verse 13 it says, For the promise to Abraham or his posterity, that he should inherit the world, did not come through (observing the commands of ) the Law but through the righteousness of faith. 

Somewhere along the lines, someone was thinking that Abraham was blessed with the fulfillment of the promise God gave him because he lived according to the law.  We know this not to be true.  We know from the story of Abraham, that Abraham in fact sinned, and broke the law, when he had relations with his wife, Sarah’s handmaiden.   This was out of the will of God.   Now, yes, Sarah was the one who was pushing Abraham to sleep with the handmaiden, because she was growing inpatient in waiting for God’s promises for a son, but ultimately, Abraham had the last say. 

Abraham produced a son, Ishmael with her handmaiden, which was a sin against God, and his promises to them, so it is not possible that Abraham was faithful to the law.   What Abraham was though, was faithful to God.

If you remember back to the story of Abraham and Sarah, before God spoke to them, they were not able to produce an heir, and Abraham was speaking with God, saying who am I supposed to leave my inheritance too?  I guess I will have to leave it to my servant as I have no children.  God told Abraham that he will have a son, and name him Isaac, and he will have him in a year.  God told Abraham, that he will be the father of many nations (Gen 17:5).   God even changed Abraham’s name from his given name of Abram, to Abraham, and Sarah’s name from Sarai to Sarah.   This was all to seal the covenant that God had with Abraham.

Now, here is the thing, where it gets tricky, Abraham was like 99 and Sarah was I believe 90(ish).  They were well past their prime child bearing years.   And this is why Abraham is a Spiritual Giant to me, he believed!  He didn’t look at the impotence of his body, or the dead womb of Sarah, in fact, he fell on his face laughing, not out of, yeah, right God, tell me another one.  He was laughing out of joy!  He was laughing out of belief!

Again, Abraham was faithful.  Even when he told Sarah, who had been laughing when she heard the story, he held his faith.   So when it is implied in Romans 4:13 that Abraham received his blessing and fulfillment of his covenant with God, out of his works, I had to laugh.  Abraham received his blessing because he is faithful to God’s word and promises.

Abraham didn’t waiver, he didn’t doubt, he didn’t challenge God, he believed.  God said Abraham, here is my plan, and Abraham said I am all in!  That is why Abraham is a Biblical Giant to me!  He did it and did it right!  He took faith to a new level.   He took Gods words to him and he stored them in his heart, and believed them, until he saw the manifestation of them before his eyes.  Which he did, in case you were unsure. 

He did have a son named, Isaac, and when asked to sacrifice that son.  The one that he waited for patiently for over 99 years, when God told him to sacrifice that son, he was obedient to the word of God.   Now, God didn’t have Abraham sacrifice Isaac, but he certainly waited to the very last minute to reveal the truth to Abraham.   This part brings tears to my eyes, this to me is amazing, Abraham, was willing to sacrifice Isaac, because he knew without a shadow of doubt, that if God was telling him to sacrifice his son, that God would raise Isaac from the dead. 

Why would Abraham believe this when God never said anything like that?  He believed it from the original promise.  He was believing because God took him from Abram to Abraham, the father of many nations.   The seed to him being the father to many nations was Isaac.  If God allowed him to kill Isaac, and Isaac, would indeed remain dead, then God broke his promise to Abraham.  This means that God lied.  God is not a liar.  God is faithful. 

Do you see that trust?  Do you see that faith?  Do you see why Abraham received his blessing off of his faith and not off of his works? 

There is nothing in this life that we can do to earn God’s favor or blessings.  We are blessed and highly favored, because we believe.  At first you believe and then you receive.  Based on your faith it is given to you.  Abraham is a wonderful mentor in faith.  He is one to try and model your faith after.  He was rock solid.

Has God promised you something?  Has God placed a desire in your heart that you know is only possible through God?  I know He has in mine.   Let’s stand together like Abraham.  Let’s agree together to stand on the promises of God, whatever they may be, to be strong and firmly planted on His word.  Let’s be unshakable in our faith in God’s abilities just like Abraham was in God’s abilities.

I want faith so strong that I can pray a prayer and hell shakes.  I want faith so strong that I am a prayer warrior for people who need God.   I want faith like Abraham had, that when God gives me a promise nothing will move me until I see the manifestation of that promise in front of me!    How about you?