An Abiding Faith
“Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.” (Romans 4:20-22NLT)
The Bible pictures Abraham as the father of faith. His faith is also portrayed as a journey. He was called from his homeland to follow a path to the destination to which God would lead him. Abraham never settled in a permanent place to call home. He was like a pilgrim in a foreign country. Nestled deep within his heart there was a belief that God had promised him something better than what he could see or possess on this earth. According to the Bible Abraham did this because he was confidently waiting for God to bring him to that heavenly city designed and built by God.
Through all his journey he waited patiently. This does not mean that Abraham never made mistakes, or that he never tried to help God along by taking matters in his own hand. Abraham did that on more than one occasion, and the consequences were never good. Yes, Abraham stumbled, but his deep abiding faith allowed him to stand and continue on the path God had mapped for his life’s journey.
From the father of our faith we can learn valuable lessons about our journey. First and foremost that life is a journey with a destination. This earth will never provide us a permanent residence. We were created for something better, an eternal home with our eternal Father. We will make our share of mistakes. We will not understand many of the things encountered on our journey. Deep and abiding faith makes the path more pleasant, and gives confidence that God will bring us safely home.
-Terry Morrison