3 Things You Can Learn From Abraham’s Obedience
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. Genesis 12:1-4
Abraham was known for his great faith in God, because all the days of his life he trusted and obeyed God, even when faced with the most difficult task (when he was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac). The call of God in Abraham’s life began in Genesis 12:1-4, when God commanded Abraham to leave his father’s place:
“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.”
Reading from the Scripture above, you can learn 3 things about his obedience to God:
1. Obedience requires you to move out of your comfort zone.
In the case of Abraham, He was asked by God to leave his country, where his relatives lived, and depart from his father’s house. He was asked to go to a land where God would show him. In short, Abraham had to leave a place of comfort, his home, and go into the unknown with God.
It’s not easy to obey God, especially when you’re being asked to go to a place you don’t know. When He requires you to leave everything behind—your property, your childhood friends, your colleagues, your relatives, your previous lifestyle, etc.—it can be a spiritual challenge.
However, that’s how obedience comes to us as children of God. Abraham did exactly what God told him to do, taking his wife Sarah with him on the journey towards the unknown with God. The Father wanted His children to simply trust and obey Him when He called on them to do something, for God already knows tomorrow. When He asks you to obey, like He did with Abraham, you know that a blessing and a breakthrough is coming.
2. Obedience doesn’t require age, only understanding.
Abraham was already old when God called Him. He was seventy-five at the time when he left Haran. As an old man, he was supposed to be resting and probably living out the remaining days of his life with his relatives, family and friends. However, that wasn’t the case for him. God called Abraham even when he was already old, for God had a great and wonderful plan for His life.
Whatever your age is right now, so long as you have an understanding of things in life, God can call you at any time. You don’t have to feel too old to be used and called by God for His glory; Abraham proved that. Moreover, Timothy, a disciple of the Apostle Paul, was also used by God as a young person to minister to both old and young ones in Church. Age really is not an issue before God. He uses and calls people as He pleases.
3. Obedience brings forth blessing and the promises of God in your life.
Without your obedience, God’s promises and blessings won’t come to pass in your life. Abraham had to leave his country, for God had promised him, “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
God blessed Abraham mightily, as you discover by reading the whole story of his life. God made Abraham wealthy, “And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold” (Genesis 13:2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.). And as Abraham also desired, God blessed him with a child in his old age, named Isaac (Genesis 17-21), as well as his other child from Hagar, named Ishmael (Genesis 16).
Because Abraham obeyed God, the plans and purposes of God for Abraham all came to pass. You see, God’s promises in your life won’t happen or miraculously appear without your cooperation. You have to do your part. God is waiting on you to manifest His plans and promises in your life, just as He did with Abraham. Simply trust in Him, even if He asks you to step out of your comfort zone, and obey Him in all things, for God is faithful and true to His Word.
