Faith step 2

God has saved us from fear and called us to walk in Faith. However, once you exercise your faith and receive the promise, the test starts over again. Faith for something requires new faith once you have obtained to continue moving forward. God is a relational God - not a prize/checklist God.

One of the most incredible stories of faith is actually found in Abraham. God called him away to leave his family and journey to someplace he did not even know (God would was leading him).

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. - Genesis 12:1-4

I know very few people that have done this. Pickup and follow God without knowing where they are going. This was quite a test especially considering they were going someplace with a different society and without protection. It wasn't like moving from California to Texas - it was like moving from California to Belize.

In addition, leaving family is more common these days in our “individualistic” (selfish?) society - but was very uncommon back then. You depended on family for support and provision in ways we don't understand with modern transportation, daycares, doctors, police, schools, and grocery stores. Today you need your family very little (if at all) to survive. You can do quite well with the available public resources provided you have money.

Abraham believed God and successfully completed this first act of faith. When he arrived God made a promise to him:

And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land - Genesis 12:7

Quite a reward, but one that requires a new test of faith.

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. - Genesis 15:5-6

It took 25 years for this next step to happen. After 15 years of waiting for the promise, God visited Abraham again and assured him that the promise would be fulfilled in due time. Then it took another 10 years after the reassurance for Sarah to finally give birth to Isaac. Each year the promise becomes harder to believe.

“And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. - Genesis 21:1-2

Victory! Abraham has been faithful and everything is now done. Yet, these tests of faith are not completed! God still has more to do here!

If having a son at 100 years old was impossible, the next step of faith is beyond that. 15 years after Issac was born Abraham is now 115 years old. God asked him to kill this son that his whole life has been about.

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. - Genesis 22:1-2

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. - Genesis 22:9-12

And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. - Genesis 15:6

So, at what step would your faith end? As God asks you to do something in faith understand that he is going to continue to refine you and with that will come greater struggles and blessings. We will never be comfortable with God. God is not “safe” for our current life. He is a refiner who continues is focused on our relationship with him above all that we can build or enjoy here on earth. God wants to bless us - but also wants to grow us into his Bride.

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. - Luke 16:10

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. - Hebrews 11:6