#DailyDevotion Faiths Does What It Believes
Gen. 124Abram went as the LORD told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 when he left Haran. 5Abram took his wife Sarai, his brother’s son Lot, all the property they had gotten and the persons they had added in Haran, and they left to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to Canaan, 6Abram traveled through the country to the place at Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh. The Canaanities were then in the country. 7The LORD appeared to Abram. “I’m going to give this land to your descendants,” He said. Abram built an altar for the LORD, Who had appeared to him. 8Then he moved away to the hills of east Bethel, and he put up his tent there with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and preached in the LORD’s name. 9Again he moved, and he kept on moving toward the South.
Abram went as the LORD told him. Well tells you something, doesn’t it? When countries wanted to populate the colonies here in America they were told about how great the land was and were given promises about what they would receive when they got here. People believed their message and promises and left their families and came here. In the 1840’s people heard there was gold in California and they left families and homes to go there to dig for gold. They believed what they were told. In similar fashion, the LORD made promises to Abram and Abram left his home and family and went where the LORD told him to go. Abram believed the LORD’s promises.
It is written, Jams 322You see, his faith was active with works and by works reached its goal.” Faith is a busy, active thing. It does not sit on its hands unless that is what is required. If you truly believe something then you are going to doing things in accordance with that belief. If you believe people run red lights, you’re going to wait a second or two before going through a green light. If you hear there is a meat sale at a store and you’ve been wanting more meat you’re going to go to the sale. Abram believed the LORD and went to Canaan. And Abram traveled all over Canaan. As he travelled, the LORD appeared to him again and made the promise again. We all need to hear the promises of the LORD over and over again. Abram believed the LORD’s promise and built and altar to the LORD.
He traveled some more and built another altar to the LORD and began preaching in the LORD’s name. You might wonder what he preached. No doubt he was preaching repentance of sins and forgiveness in the name of the LORD. He taught the people there who the LORD was and what the LORD expected of them. We know the people didn’t listen for the LORD would destroy those people through Abram’s descendents because of their many sins.
Now we have been given a promise. Jesus Christ the LORD has made atonement for your sins by dying and rising from the dead. Be repentant and believe the good news. He is going to give us a new heavens and a new earth as a gift. That is the promise. If you believe that promise then your actions will follow. You will confess your sins. You will be baptized. You will begin to turn from your sins and turn to Jesus for light and life. Your priorities are going to change. If you believe something, you’re going to act like your believe it. He gives us the Holy Spirit to live and act in faith.
Heavenly Father, even as you gave a promise to Abram and believed and acted on that promise, so give us your Holy Spirit that we may believe and act on the promises you made us through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.