New Narrative. New Name.

Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:3-5)

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Richard made a point that I’d like us to reflect on today. He noted that, in changing the name Abram to Abraham, God indicated that this man of faith was to be a father of many nations. However, the name change occurred before Sarah bore a child.

Our pastor shared with us that this name change was an expression of God’s view, God’s reality, concerning who Abraham was. In the eyes of the world, Abraham and Sarah remained a childless couple struggling with the dynamic of Hagar and Ishmael in their household. But in the eyes of God, Abraham was a man who had a legacy of generations numbered through his yet-unborn son and grandson, Isaac and Jacob.

What is God’s reality concerning us today?

What is His name for us?

What do we say about ourselves in light of what God has said about us?

People, even Christian people, will have plenty to say concerning what is seen. They can see whether a person is young or old. They can sometimes perceive whether a person has had basic education or advanced studies. They can perhaps notice a particular family dynamic or personal crisis that an individual is dealing with. And they can speak based on what they’ve perceived.

But is our perception a reflection of heaven's perspective? Sometimes we fall into the trap of speaking based on what we’ve seen instead of speaking in line with what God has declared. It’s a dangerous trap, because our desire as Christians is to live as authentic representatives of God’s kingdom, declaring God’s agenda.

So let’s endeavor, today and every day, to wait on God’s declaration concerning ourselves, our households, and the legacy we will leave. It’s not about what we see; it’s about what He says.

Lord God, we want to walk through each day with an awareness of Your agenda. Help us to seek Your face and to wait for Your voice, so that we might know Your desire for our lives. Help us to block out the other voices that can only speak from a worldly perspective. Help us to overcome the Hagars and Ishmaels who stand ready to remind us of our past errors. Please help us to hear the name You have given to us: the authentic expression of who You have called us to be, even as we go through the process of becoming who You say we are. Thank You for speaking to our hearts today.

All Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Walking And Waiting

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” (Genesis 17:1-2)

So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:9)

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Richard pointed out that in Genesis 17, God instructed Abraham in how to live before informing Abraham of the covenant God would establish. We, though, live in a time where it is normal to hear people, even people of God, bargaining for covenant: God, if you do such-and-such for me, then I will love you more/serve you more/give to your kingdom more. But that isn’t God’s way. The agenda of God is launched with a mandate: God wants us to believe His word, and God wants us to walk in His truth. The mandate is a call to faithfulness long before we receive the specifics concerning God’s covenant with us.

This is what we see in Abraham. Years passed between the moment of God’s initial revelation to Abraham and the moment of Abraham seeing his son Isaac, and through those years Abraham believed while waiting to see. Abraham was not a perfect man, but he nonetheless held a particular commendation that has remained unblemished through the ages: Abraham believed God.

We are not perfect. For some of us, many years have passed and we still await some tangible evidence of what God has promised. We've made some mistakes while in this waiting phase. But as we wait, we live as Abraham did: faithful to our Lord. It is this faithfulness to God that opens the door to knowing and living God’s agenda. My prayer for us today is that we, like Abraham, will believe and do what God has said.

Lord God, thank You for speaking to us! We believe Your word. We are grateful to embark, every morning, with Your agenda ruling our lives. We have faith. We speak in faith. We live by faith. Give us the grace to always walk faithfully before You.

All Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.