“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Genesis 2:20………..
I read the scriptures above FOR YEARS before one day the Spirit of God brought something to light quite astonishing and utterly life-changing. Abraham was considered a man of exceedingly strong faith in that when God told him to essentially pack his bags and leave so very much behind to go where God was sending him without knowing any of the details, he went, right? Yes, but this is not all! And here is what I missed. Abraham obeyed God by faith when God sent him out AND Abraham “DWELT” by faith where God sent him. In other words, he STAYED THERE. He REMAINED THERE. He did NOT turn back, he did NOT quit, he did NOT change direction once he was there and go somewhere else, he did NOT change course, he did NOT change his mind. He was faithful at the beginning, and he was faithful all the way through!
Some of us when God sends us somewhere don’t go at all. Some of us when God sends us somewhere go where He sends us but then turn around or go somewhere else because we’re afraid, get uncomfortable, fall into temptation when we see what we think is a better option, quit in the middle because we feel it’s all too hard, etc. But the scriptures above, and Abraham’s story, show us that God wants us BY FAITH to go where He sends us AND to stay where God sends us until God directs us elsewhere IF God directs us elsewhere WHEN God directs us elsewhere. Abraham’s faith didn’t stop when he set out on his journey when the Lord led him forth. His faith remained.
Friend, sometimes God sends us to new places. Sometimes to new relationships. To new jobs. To new volunteer jobs. To new churches. To new opportunities. To a new calling. To a new school. To a new career. To a new service position at church. To a new neighborhood in the same town. To a missionary job across the world. When we are clear the Lord is sending us to wherever He is sending us, we need to go BY FAITH. But this is but the beginning. We need BY FAITH to DWELL – to stay, remain, stand fast – wherever God sends us for however long He desires for the glory of the Lord. It can be incredibly scary, and incredibly challenging, to go where the Lord may send us. And it can be incredibly scary, and challenging, to remain where He sends us for however long He desires, but BY FAITH in GOD’S STRENGTH in GOD’S LOVE LED AND EMPOWERED BY GOD’S SPIRIT with GOD’S MERCY by GOD’S GRACE with GOD’S DIRECTION with GOD’S PROVISION and the SUPPORT OF GOD’S FOLLOWERS with TRUST IN GOD and HOPE IN GOD and PEACE IN CHRIST we can GO where God sends us and DWELL where God sends us for the glory of the Lord most high, hallelujah, friend, amen!