STEPPING OUT IN FAITH
 
When Abraham stepped out in faith it was with a purpose. He knew since he was a believer he had to obey God but I also just get the impression he wanted to convert his people away from false Gods. Always remember that whenever we step out in faith before God there is always a purpose behind it or maybe I should say from God's point of view it is probably for multiple reasons. The real question is if we don't step out in faith will we become infected if we just stay still? The answer is yes.For one Christian God may be calling them to move an inch for another Christian God may be placing strong conviction in them to move a mile.Romans 12:3 says."For I say,through the grace given unto me,to every man that is among you,not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly,according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." I am not necessarily talking about a physical journey. Abraham was called to move physically but that was his call. His physical journey of faith is symbolic of what we go through in our application with the Lord as we make decisions and are at different points in our life.His life is one big picture or snapshot of our walk of faith.Ur of the Chaldees was their home and I'm sure at one point they were very comfortable there but it was not where God wanted them to be.First of all this city was located in the Euphrates valley probably in our modern day Iraq. It was steeped in a Babylonian system of worship.According to Revelation 17 God will finally destroy religious Babylon and in Revelation 18 God judges commercial Babylon so it should be pretty easy to figure out that if Abraham's life was symbolic of our faith he had to journey from Ur (Babylon) to Canaan (a type of paradise).We take steps of faith because we are headed toward the promised land.Once we came to know the Lord God put us on a journey to know Him by experience.The Bible says "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise,as in a strange country,dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob,the heirs with him of the same promise." Hebrews 11:9. In Hebrews 11:16 the Bible says "But now they desire a better country,that is,an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city." Hebrews 11:16. Stepping out in faith in our Savior Jesus Christ is a microcosm of our journey toward the promised land (getting to personally know our Savior Jesus Christ by experience). If our bodies fail us first and we pass on or if the rapture of the church takes place we go on to Glory or Heaven.This is a macrocosm of what we ultimately are looking for because we are only...."strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Hebrews 11:13.
 
When we as believers in Jesus Christ step out in faith it is because God put us on a road or a journey and He will gradually guide us.This sounds simple but God will not guide us unless we first step out in faith thus complementing God to be our leader.Then He will give us direction because of our faith in Him. As a result we will have more confidence in our Savior because we will know by experience that God is gently guiding us even through hard times.
 
Bob D.