Dearly Beloved,

“THE BLESSINGS OF ABRAHAM”

“It was faith that made Abraham offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God
put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise,
yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice” (Hebrews 11:17, TEV).

There is a popular chorus in my area that goes thus: “Abraham’s blessings
are mine. Abraham’s blessings are mine. I am blessed in the morning, in the
noon, in the evening. Father Abraham’s blessings are mine.” The song aims at
claiming all the good promises that God made to Abraham. However, most people
that sing that chorus or have such concept do not pay attention to the travails
and trials of faith of Abraham, and it is unlikely if they would be ready to
claim such travails and trials for themselves.

At a time when Abraham should be enjoying his “retirement benefits” in his
native land, God called him out of his relatives to leave the certainty for
uncertainty. Here was a man who did not have a child of his own at his old age.
He became a wanderer in a foreign land with his old wife and a nephew. God
promised him a son who would come from his own body, but the promise was
delayed. In spite of this, he believed God, and it was credited to him as
righteousness. At the age of ninety-nine, Abraham underwent the surgical
operation of circumcision in order to fulfil his own part of a covenant that was
humanly speaking not certain with God. At God’s appointed time (an interval of
twenty-five years!), the promised son came. When Abraham was taking delight in
the son of his old age, God instructed him to go and sacrifice the son! Abraham
did obey. The Lord was impressed and renewed His blessings thus: "I swear by
myself, declares the LORD, that because
you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely
bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as
the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of
their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,
because you have obeyed me" (Genesis 22:16-18, NIV). These are part of the
blessings that some are apportioning to themselves today.

How many of us today can, or is ready to, undergo all those experiences that
Abraham underwent? God has different ways of dealing with each of us. He is
ready to bless us even more than how He blessed Abraham. However, are we ready
to diligently trust and obey Him in His dealings with us? That hymn writer said,
“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy with Jesus, but to
trust and obey.”

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).


Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

+234 805 515 9591

http://www.thewordthruthenet.org/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/



I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will

have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted

in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST

AND TO DIE IS GAIN (Philippians 1:20-21, NIV).




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