Hello everyone and welcome back to the Faith Journey Blog.\u00a0 Last time in part 3 we talked about the role of perseverance and faith.\u00a0 Today we are looking at “The Choice”.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You may be thinking, “what do you mean by “The Choice?”.\u00a0 I am talking about the choice to turn back, to give up on walking by faith and go back.\u00a0 There\u00a0are some\u00a0interesting verses in Hebrews 11:13-16.\u00a0 Let me share them with you…<\/p>\n
“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.\u00a0 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.\u00a0 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.\u00a0<\/strong> But as it is, they desired a better country, that is a heavenly one.\u00a0 Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n About a year ago I had the privilege of taking my ladies that attend our Wednesday Morning Bible Study through the study Patriarchs<\/em> by Beth Moore.\u00a0 In that study we took a very detailed look at Abraham’s (also known as Abram before God changed his name)calling to leave the land of Ur and travel to a land promised to him and his descendants.\u00a0 Apparently, half way through that journey to Canaan, Abraham’s father Terah who was 205 years old died in Haran.\u00a0(Genesis 11:32) \u00a0Abraham was right in the middle of stepping out in faith following God – not knowing where he was going and his own father dies.\u00a0 We often experience trials like this in our journey of faith.\u00a0<\/p>\n I know for me personally, I can identify somewhat with Abraham.\u00a0 Just after I graduated from college and moved to Texas to start Seminary my father passed away.\u00a0 Here you are struggling to be obedient to God, taking a big step to follow Him not knowing where it will lead you and then tragedy strikes.\u00a0 Many of us have been in similar shoes.\u00a0 When this happened to me, I obviously had to return home to be with my mom and bury my father.\u00a0 After things were settled, there came the question, “Are you going to continue to follow and trust God or sit here where it is comfortable?”\u00a0 I could have called off going to Seminary and following God’s call on my life.\u00a0 It would have been easy to do that because\u00a0my first two months out there were not easy at all.\u00a0 As a matter of fact, they were quite miserable.\u00a0 It was my first taste of being away from home and on my own.\u00a0 My job was tough, school was tough, my roommates were at each others throats constantly those two months, my car broke down three times and left me stranded on the side of the road (no cell phone-too broke to have one), I accidentally backed into someone – no damage thank goodness – all the while calling home only to find my father’s condition was deteriorating.\u00a0 Mom and Dad both tried to hide that, but I knew in the back of my mind things would not get better.\u00a0 After having such a tough experience to look back on, going back was not what I wanted to do.\u00a0 I had a choice.\u00a0 I even tried to pursue going to a different Seminary thinking that would be better, even closer to home.\u00a0 Yet, I remember that day walking down the hallway that God spoke to my heart, “Dana, you have to go back.”\u00a0 I knew that my calling depended on it.\u00a0<\/p>\n Likewise, Abraham could have turned back and gone home.\u00a0 Back to the familiar – the comfort and ease of home, friends, stability etc…\u00a0 Yet, he choose obedience.\u00a0 He buried his father, helped his family and then God called out to him again.\u00a0 Genesis 12:1-3 says that God called forth to Abraham again and reminded him of the promise that he would be a great nation with many descendants with a land of their own one day.\u00a0 It is interasting\u00a0that verse 1 says, “Now the LORD said to Abram…”\u00a0 Look at that word “Now”.\u00a0 I was As if to say, “Now, that is done and Abram, it is time to move forward.”\u00a0 When we have these moments of interruption in our faith journey it does not mean that God can’t be trusted or that He has lost control.\u00a0 I think the opposite is true.\u00a0 He may be asking, “Are you still going to trust me “NOW” that this has happened?\u00a0 Do you believe I can work\u00a0even through\u00a0this?\u00a0 Do you love me enough to trust me despite your circumstances?”\u00a0 Wow…big questions to ponder.\u00a0 Well, the choice is yours and mine.\u00a0 Are we going to press on and go where God leads or do we turn back.\u00a0 One helpful hint here…according to Hebrews 11:13 if you are focusing on the comforts or things that you left, you will have opportunity to return.\u00a0 My friend, if God has called you forward you can’t look back.\u00a0 You can’t focus on what you left behind or you will stumble and fall as you are trying to move forward.\u00a0 So, what do you say…let’s make a deal….you take my hand and we will keep moving forward together!<\/p>\n Dana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hello everyone and welcome back to the Faith Journey Blog.\u00a0 Last time in part 3 we talked about the role of perseverance and faith.\u00a0 Today we are looking at “The Choice”.\u00a0 You may be thinking, “what do you mean by “The Choice?”.\u00a0 I am talking about the choice to turn back, to give up on walking by faith and go back.\u00a0 There\u00a0are some\u00a0interesting verses in Hebrews 11:13-16.\u00a0 Let me share them with you… “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.\u00a0 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.\u00a0 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.\u00a0 But as it is, 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