I find the people God uses as examples for us very interesting. Take for instance Abraham. He came from a family of idol makers, worshippers of pagan gods. Because of the high demand for idols in the land of Ur of the Chaldees, it seemed that his family was in the right business at the right time. Like the “communication” stocks of today, their prices were probably soaring! And God would ask him to leave it all behind for an unknown land. “Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you” Genesis 12:1 God’s plan was to transform Abraham into the “father of faith,” and the “father of many nations.” And He wanted to perform this miracle from scratch.

So what happened to change Abraham into this man of faith - one who puts God first in everything? I believe it began with his personal encounter with God. Have you ever had an appointment at a doctor or dentist that was scheduled many months beforehand, and if they had not called you or sent you a note to remind you, you would have forgotten all about it? Before we are saved we often go through our lives, unaware that we have an appointment with the Lord. And one day, when we seem to have forgotten all about Him, not even thinking about Him or considering Him, He arrives in our lives. And we must make a decision. God kept his appointment with Abraham. Abraham made his decision, and would never be the same again.

The personal life of Abraham, in the early years, wasn’t always such a wonderful example. Of course, like all of us, in the beginning he failed in his faith many times. Yet after each failure, Abraham got back up and turned again to the Lord. You see, when we’ve truly had an encounter with God, we don’t stay down. We get right back up and continue on in the fight of faith. In John 6:29 Jesus said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” When we truly believe, we won’t give up; our spirit within won’t allow it. Sometimes it takes everything we’ve got to believe; especially when it seems like the whole world is falling apart around us. But it’s during these times that God is doing a work in our lives to believe and trust Him.

The wonderful thing about God is that He never throws anyone away. He is the Creator and He knows how to take a life that may seem totally lost and broken and He turns it into something beautiful and useful for Him. Joel 2:25 says; “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. . .”

So if we find ourselves discouraged, remember God isn’t finished with us yet. God loves us and he desires to achieve a miracle from scratch in our lives. Are we willing to abandon the quick fix and fast food mentality by allowing Him time to do this? Just give Him the chance and watch what He will do.

In Jesus’ Name,
Pastor Dan