DRAWING NEAR
November 16
Stepping Out in Faith
"By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a
place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went
out, not knowing where he was going" (Heb. 11:8).
The life of faith begins with a willingness to forsake everything
that displeases God.
Abraham is the classic example of the life of faith. As the father of
the Jewish nation, he was the most strategic example of faith
available to the writer of Hebrews. But the people to whom Hebrews
was written needed to understand that Abraham was more than the
father of their race; he also was, by example, the father of everyone
who lives by faith in God (Rom. 4:11).
Contrary to popular first-century Jewish thought, God didn't choose
Abraham because he was righteous in himself. When called by God,
Abraham was a sinful man living in an idolatrous society. His home
was in the Chaldean city of Ur, which was located in ancient
Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
God's call to Abraham is recorded in Genesis 12:1-3: "Go forth from
your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house,
to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great
nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you
shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the
one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the
earth shall be blessed."
Note Abraham's response: "So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken
to him" (v. 4). He listened, trusted, and obeyed. His pilgrimage of
faith began when he separated himself from the pleasures of a pagan
land to pursue God's plan for his life.
So it is with you if you're a man or woman of true faith. You've
forsaken sinful pleasures to follow Christ. And as your love for
Christ increases, there's a corresponding decrease in worldly
desires.
I pray your focus will continually be on fulfilling God's will for
your life, and that you'll always know the joy and assurance that
comes from following Him.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Ask God for the grace and spiritual fortitude to walk by faith today.
For Further Study:
Memorize 1 John 2:15 as a reminder to remain separate from the world.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Romans 4:11
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the
righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised,
that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are
uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also
1 John 2:15
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves
the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
http://www.gty.org/Gospel
http://www.gty.org/
http://www.nwbible.org/
To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
.
|
