Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Abraham is another example that God used to show us what faith that has substance looks like. Abraham grew up in a pagan country. He was surrounded by idolatry. “Somehow” Abraham was different. That “somehow” can only be answered by God. God wants all to be saved and He is at work in every country and among all people. God spoke to Abraham and told him to leave his family and go to a new land. It was a land that Abraham had never seen. He had no idea of what kind of a land it was.
Abraham was willing to go to this new land, but he was not willing to leave his family behind. The Bible tells us that he took his father with him and he also took his nephew with him. Abraham trusted God somewhat, but not completely. God continued to work with Abraham and he took his father out of the way. He died on the way. Lot and Abraham both had wealth and they had possessions. Abraham’s herdsmen could not get along with Lot’s herdsmen and they needed to separate. God completed for Abraham things he was reluctant to do on his own. God also changed Abraham’s name from Abram to Abraham. God showed Abraham, that He owned him. That was not a bad thing. That was a good thing. God showed Abraham the blessing of being owned by the true God. Our text tells us that Abraham obeyed God even though he did not know where he was going. It is important to note that the person who follows after that faith that has substance, does not need to have a detailed map of where he or she is going. All they need to have is the understanding that God is true. God has made that fact abundantly clear in the Bible.
We know from God’s Word that God alone offers eternal life to those who will turn to Him in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. We know that those who trust in Him have access to a peace that the world cannot have and cannot understand. We know that those who trust Him have a home in Heaven from the moment they are saved and will enter that home at death. We know these things because God says so, not because we have experienced them. The person that is truly saved puts his or her faith in the true God. They understand that faith in self or others is not going to work.
In verse 9 we see that Abraham sojourned in the land of promise. The word translated as “sojourned” means “to reside as a stranger”. You notice that not only did Abraham sojourn in that land but so did his son Isaac and his son Jacob. They were heirs of the promise that God gave to Abraham. None of them saw the promise of God fulfilled. They were strangers in the land of Canaan. They were able to live among the people there and they were also able to keep themselves separate from the people of the land. That was important. That was why God moved Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees. Abraham and his descendants needed a better opportunity to know the true God. Not only that, but God wanted to work through them to show the world the blessing of knowing the true God.
Abraham bought a parcel of land in Canaan to bury his wife, Sarah. He had to buy that land. Eventually, God would give that entire land to the descendants of Abraham, but not at that time. Abraham’s testimony bore fruit in Isaac and in Jacob. He was able to be a blessing to his family. God promised that he would be a blessing to all nations.
In verse 10 we see that Abraham had something that most people do not. He looked for a city which hath foundations. He knew that Ur did not have a right foundation. He knew that because he believed in the true God. He knew that the only way a city could have foundations is if it is built and made by God.
We have seen the freedom 2022 convoy down-sized drastically. It is not dead. The dream is still there for many. From what I have been hearing, they will never realize their dream because their hope is still in man. Some of them have noticed that for the past two years not one politician, regardless of party affiliation, has been willing to stand up and denounce the course that this country has taken. Some politicians are sheepishly beginning to speak out now, but they are just looking to buy votes. Most of those who are speaking out within this movement would not make any better leaders because they too lack the fear of God in their lives. That is evident just by listening to them speak. When a person needs to resort to foul language, they exemplify they lack the fear of God.
What is needed today just as it was needed in Abraham’s day, is God.
Psalm 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
No person can be successful unless he or she is building their life upon the LORD. No police, no politician can push the LORD around. He is the self-existent God before whom the P.M. and every other politician and all those police who were so heavily armed will stand before and answer for their utter disregard for Him and for people. Their day will come.
We have said it before, but it is time for people to wake up and turn to the faith that has substance. No one can blame their environment or their circumstances in life for their paganism. The carnality that identified the saints in Corinth was not acceptable to God and they had no legitimate reason for being carnal.
I know that some who receive these devotionals have good churches that they attend. I also know that some who receive these devotionals choose not to attend good churches. They could, but they refuse to. If you want a meaningful life that has purpose now and into eternity, you must choose the God of Abraham. If you choose that God, it will be evident in your life. Abraham did not lose a thing in leaving Ur of the Chaldees. He needed to learn the blessing of obedience to God. God, who is merciful and just, continued to work in Abraham’s life and got him to the place where He could teach him the things that he needed to know.
Today is the Lord’s Day. It is the day when true saints go to a true church because Jesus commands it. In Manitoba the weather today is stormy. Some may be unable to attend a true church in person due to the weather. We can be thankful for the technology we have today that allows us to attend virtually when it is not possible to do so physically.
Either way, those who are truly saved desire to hear from the true God. They understand the importance of the Lord’s Day and they desire to have others know the Lord Jesus Christ as their own personal Saviour. The love of God motivates them to be faithful to God. It is the Lord’s Day because it is the day that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Every first day of the week, those who are truly saved remind the world that Jesus Christ is the Risen Saviour. We do not need to wait for a particular day on the calendar which the world uses to make money and to mock God’s truth. We come together every Lord’s Day to honour the true God. We are praying for many to come to know the true God in these last days. Nothing is of greater importance.
Pastor Bartel
