And through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me. (Gen. 22:18)
One of the constant realities of being a leader is that people have high expectations of you and you probably have high expectations of those you lead. I have been in leadership for over thirty years and have learned several leadership principles. One of those principles is to remind those I lead how valuable they are and to reward them for their effort and work. Those rewards in a secular world transpire in pay raises, promotions, and awards.
When we follow the Lord, pay raises, promotions, and awards are not a guarantee or a promise. However, God often rewards those who are obedient and committed to him. Those rewards come to us as blessings. In our passage today, God reminded Abraham of the covenant made in Genesis 12:1–3—the covenant that would bless Abraham with offspring, but more importantly, the covenant that would provide God’s blessing to the nations of the world through Abraham’s faith.
Abraham understood that God had promised to provide him with a future, not just for himself, but for everyone. Abraham never doubted God’s promise, and throughout the testing, his actions showed his faith in God’s promise. There are moments in our life when God will stretch us; however, God has promised to provide for our future, and God never breaks a promise.
Regardless of your situation, have faith in God’s promises.
Chris Whetlor serves as spiritual formation pastor at Real Life Wesleyan Church in Mechanicsville, Maryland, and is completing a DMin in spiritual formation at Wesley Seminary.
© 2021 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
