English Standard Version (ESV)
I sometimes forget how miraculous Abraham's story really is. Perhaps it is too familiar, too close. Think of the risk that Abraham took in the beginning -- leaving behind what he knew to seek out something new, following a call that relied on faith to believe he would be supported. He fixed his eyes on the promise, but it was a long way off, and his feet had many troublesome steps before he reached the fulfillment of the promise. Sarah, too, had to believe, had to trust, had to have faith. The two of them bore a child well past when they thought they might, and suddenly there was life in place of what had been barren.
To look back on this, we can see the steps Abraham took, the affirmations along the way, and how his faithfulness led to descendants more numerous than the stars.
In the midst of it, I'm sure it wasn't that easy. Abraham on day 10 and day 110 probably had a lot of uncertainty as he waited, as he traveled, as he wondered. Faith isn't easy, and Abraham's journey, though more public, was no easier than yours or mine. He had to make an active choice every day to follow, to believe, to risk. The promise was there, though sometimes seen at a distance through a haze. The promise is there for us, too. The same promise, offered by the same faithful God, is extended to us, and we can choose to follow, letting the Holy Spirit lead us.
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