Hard to Have Faith – March 13, 2020

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.
Genesis 12:1-4

Hard to Have Faith

People sometimes become frustrated with God because they don’t feel their faith is working in the way it should.

“I tried going to church and doing the right things. But life is still really hard, and God doesn’t seem to be changing anything.”

“I tried not to worry and to stop trying to control everything, but it seems that only left me with fewer answers and more questions. It’s not working, and I don’t think it should be so hard to follow him.” But sometimes it is. And if it ever is for you, then look at Abram.

Abram received many wonderful promises from God but saw precious few of those promises fulfilled during his lifetime. Abram’s family didn’t take possession of the land God promised him until 430 years later. Abram was long dead by then. And this “great nation” that he would make Abram to be; when Abram died, had exactly one son and two 15-year-old grandchildren; none of whom were the Savior of the world, which is exactly what God was talking about when he said that “all people on earth will be blessed through [him].”

Abram would never see, during his life on earth, most of the blessings God promised him. Yet he still went where God commanded him, even when it was hard because he trusted God to keep his word.

You can trust his word too. Even when things aren’t going the way you would like, even when God seems slow in keeping his promises to you, you can trust he will. After all, he kept his greatest promise when he sent his Son into the world to save you from your sins. If he was willing to keep that promise, you can be sure he will keep all the rest.

Prayer:
Father in heaven, strengthen my faith in you by keeping me focused on your faithfulness to me in Jesus. Amen.