Abraham hosts God’s messengers

Genesis 18:1-8

Shortly after sealing the covenant between God and himself by means of circumcision, the Lord met Abraham in the plains where he lived. Throughout history, God has revealed Himself to men in different ways. From speaking with Moses through a burning bush, to using a donkey to get the attention of a wayward prophet, God has presented Himself to men in various divine ways.

As Abraham sat at the entrance of his tent to escape the harsh heat, he looked up and saw three men standing in his midst. These men must have had the appearance of beings far beyond the natural realm, because Abraham made haste to meet and bow before them. Abraham also recognized that one of the men was indeed the Lord Almighty in some form, as he had previously been met by him five times before. One thing I admire most about Abraham is his sense of urgency in relation to showing hospitality to his guests.

I work in the hotel and resort industry where hospitality sits atop our list of priorities. Anything less than good hospitality toward our guests is frowned upon, and may incur some sort of disciplinary action to the employee. As with retail establishments who preach, “the customer is always right”, hotels abide by the same law that our guest’s needs take precedence over all else. We aim to meet the needs of those who visit our resort, in hopes that they’ll return again, or intice others to visit someday.

Abraham would be a great fit in any business today, because his initial act to care for his guests was on point! He first offered to wash their feet (which was a customary way to greet those who visited your home), then offered to make them a meal. His meal wasn’t something he simply threw together, but he used fine meal and a calf tender and good.

When preparing a meal for the Lord, what would you come up with? Would you offer God a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of soup? Or would you put forth your best cuisine? Apply this principle to your every life by showing hospitality to everyone who enters your home. Greet and treat them as if they were God, accompanied by His angelic hosts. In doing this, you’ll be fulfilling various commands that tell us to love our neighbors as ourselves, as well as walk in love, as Christ also has loved us.

Abraham knew the importance of showing reverence to the God of all creation, and we are commanded to do the same in how we live, love, and treat those who cross our paths.

Seek peace,

Ell

Gentiles share in Abraham’s promise

Galatians 3:6-9, 13-14

When God promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him, His intentions were that none be excluded from being called the righteousness of God. The Jews were God’s chosen nation responsible for carrying out His message to the world, but His ultimate desire was for everyone to share in the opportunity to be adopted into God’s royal family. Because of Christ, all men were redeemed from the curse of the law, and were graced with the blessing of Abraham. But it takes faith to activate that blessing.

Having faith in God, and believing in His Word are the first steps to solidifying a stable relationship with the Father. God can’t be pleased by unfaithful people, because their works won’t align with His will. Farmers plant seeds because they believe that with the proper care, they’ll grow into healthy crops. Without belief in what the seed can produce, the farmer wouldn’t plant any seeds at all. Without faith in God, it’s impossible for us to effectively produce works according to His will, because our belief will be in things contrary to His own. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3). We won’t always know where God is leading us during our faith walk, but knowing that He created us and cares for our well-being gives us assurance that wherever He takes us, it’ll be worth it.

There are many who lack faith simply because they don’t hear enough of the Word. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Our faith comes by hearing the goodness of God’s Word. Even if you don’t hear it from a preacher, read God’s Word out loud to yourself. Faith comes by hearing, but develops through works. When God told Abraham all He would do for him, this activated Abraham’s faith. But his faith grew from every step of obedience to God’s leading and instruction. We must not be hearers only of the Word, but doers as well. Abraham wasn’t labeled the Father of Faith simply from hearing the promises of God, but he followed through with patience and obedience to God’s every word.

In your life, do you follow through when the Spirit nudges you to do something? Or do you sit idle in hopes that you’ll eventually get the full picture before you step out? Faith works when we trust God’s word, even without knowing all the details. Just like a child who panics while learning to swim, must trust that the lifeguard will keep him safe, we must move in the midst of our insecurities, knowing that God will allow no evil to overtake us.

We are all blessed, because of Abraham’s obedience to God. Who will be blessed in the future by your obedience? Think of how the choices you made in the past affected others today. From this moment on, trust God in every decision you make, and let your faith be a blessing to generations to come.

Seek peace,

Ell

Noah to Abraham, faith in action

Hebrews 11:4-10

🎵🎶 Faith, faith, faith just a little more faith🎵🎶. That’s a song I learned growing up in church. As kids, my siblings and I would sing these types of songs well, not because we understood them, but because we memorized the words and tune. Nearing year 37 of my existence on this planet, I can now sing every word of that song, and know full well what they mean. I can even add a few verses of my own, with all the faith experiences I’ve had in my brief lifetime.

Faith is trusting what we can’t yet see, because of Who we believe in. The writer of the book of Hebrews said, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). He went on to teach that it’s impossible to even please God without faith. Knowing that there’s this “one” thing required that prompts God to immediate pleasure, you’d think that all believers would grasp this truth and run with it. Sadly, many who profess they love God are living faithless lives daily. It takes faith to move effectively in the will of God. Placing your trust in things other than God, creates room for doubt, worry, and disbelief to settle in your heart and mind.

Noah was a man of great faith. He trusted God to do things he’d never seen or heard of before. During Noah’s days, God set dew on the crops to provide water for their nourishment, but hearing that God would eventually send rain and cause the earth to flood must have put a big question mark over Noah’s head. Yet, Noah kept his faith in God, because he believed that God’s words were superior to anything that could come from any other source.

Abraham is considered by many as, the Father of Faith. He also trusted God, while believing without knowing all the juicy details of where God was leading him. The problem with many Christians is, they won’t move until they know everything God has planned. If God showed us all the details of our lives, then we’d easily lose faith in Him, because we’d have all the knowledge we needed. But we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart, never depending on our own understanding for guidance.

Abraham left nearly everything behind, except a few loved ones, as he embarked on a new journey with God at the helm. Some preachers and teachers use the term “blind faith” when referring to trusting God without knowing your destination. But this is what godly living is all about; total dependence on the leading of the Spirit. There’s no man, woman, or demon who knows and cares for you like our Heavenly Father does. So why trust in things that have little to no power at all?

The Word of God give us all the information we need to live a faithful life that pleases Him. Turn your eyes away from worldly distractions, and fix them on the unseen God. Some may ask, why do you believe in a God you can’t see? Here are a few scriptures that reveal how God is clearly seen:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun” (Psalm 19:1-4).

“But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:7-10).

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Seek peace,

Ell