Verse of the day: Genesis 17:4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and
you shall be a father of many nations.”
What a wonderful demonstration of grace in the life of
Abraham. At this point in Abraham’s life, he is ninety-nine years old, he has
caused turmoil in his family by not consulting with God before going along with
his wife Sarah’s idea for obtaining an heir by Hagar her slave; and yet, God
appears to him once again in this chapter to reaffirm the covenant He made with
Abraham. This is our God. So often we stray from God’s will and plan for our
lives, and too often we give up. We view God on the basis of how people react
to our stumbling, and moments of temporary failure. However, God does not deal
with us as man deals with us. When men treat us in a mean-spirited manner, and
lack love in their approach to correcting us or fail to help us get back on
track in our walk, we have One who will not discard us, or withdraw His Hand
from our lives. God continues to love us, and His desire is that we continue to
walk with Him to accomplish that which He plans to accomplish in us, and
through us. Throughout Scripture we read of men who have failed in their
relationship with the Lord, but God did not give up on them or discard them.
Instead, He restored them and used them greatly. We see this with Abraham, Moses,
Samson, David, and Peter, just to name a few. Note how God approaches Abraham
in this chapter. In verse 1 He reminds Abraham who it is that is before him,
and what He expects of him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.” God’s
desire was that Abraham would walk before Him in truth and with integrity. The
key being that he continues to walk with God. Too often we allow the shame of
our failure to stop us in our tracks, and enemy knows how to keep us stagnant
in our guilt. Sadly, other people, especially other Christians, often
discourage us by the way we are treated when we stumble. Yet, the Word of God
is very clear that we are to approach those who stumble with humility, and with
the ultimate aim to help them be restored in their walk with Christ. Galatians
6:1-3 states it this way, “Brethren, if a
man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual
restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you
also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of
Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he
deceives himself.” Contrary to man’s tendencies to put one aside, God
wants to pick us up, set us straight, and see us walk before Him in a way that
is pleasing to Him. Our moments of failure are best used as lessons on what not
to do or how not to live before God; and He always gives us the opportunity to
try again and get it right. However, let us not dismiss the fact that in spite
of God’s goodness toward Abraham and His willingness to have Abraham continue
to walk with Him, He did not remove the consequences of his decision to act
outside of God’s will and plan for his life. The bottom line is that God is not
a fickle God who changes His mind about what He wants to accomplish in our
lives simply because we stray or stumble. God is a God who will accomplish that
which He sets out to accomplish in us, and through us, if we will humble
ourselves under His Mighty Hand, and do all that we can, in Christ, to walk
before Him in integrity and truth. God not only appears unto Abram, but He also
changes His and Sarai’s name to reflect who He was going to make them. Jesus
did the same to Peter when He called him Cephas (John 1:42). God is a God who
deals with us on the basis of who He will mold and shape us into. He will use
each failure, each trial, each challenge, and each circumstance to accomplish
this end in our lives. So, let us today be encouraged by the fact that we have
a Lord and Savior who does not give up on us. Let us keep our eyes on Him, and
not on those who would discourage us to continue in this battle that will
sometimes cause us to stumble. In the end, we have a God who will pick us up
and use us even when people treat us like they have no further use for us. God
can always use a servant who is repentant, humble, and willing to submit to
whatever God chooses to use them for. Psalm 37:23-24 reminds us that, “The
steps of a good man are ordered
by the Lord, And He delights in his way. 24 Though
he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him
with His hand.”
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