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Feb 03, 2024 06:00am

Just Do It

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In Genesis 12:1-3 God instructs Abraham to go from his country and family to a land that he will show him. The words “will show him” indicate God was asking Abraham to exercise faith without knowing the end result.

Digging a little deeper, God was quite literally asking Abraham to leave his family and the life he had known to travel to a land God would later reveal. Though the text does go on to tell us that God promises to make Abraham a great nation and blessing, this seems like a tall order from God; and an uncertain one.

I am reminded of Hebrews 11:1 which tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

I’d like to think that God asking for obedience without providing a clear outcome was a thing of the Old Testament, but this is not the case.

Biblically defined, faith is the assurance of what we hope for, not what is clearly in our grasp at the time. The conviction of the Holy Spirit guides us to take physical steps of faith towards what we cannot yet see.

As a Christian I desire to have this type of faith, a faith in which I take action based on my hope in and conviction from God versus my current sight.

An old youth pastor of mine commonly illustrated the concept of faith by talking about a chair. We can visually look at a chair and assess that it is sturdy, but it takes faith that the chair will hold us up to physically sit in it.

You see, we often approach God this way. We read his word and mentally believe his word proves true. We even look to the lives of others who have sat in the chair of faith and see how God has blessed their obedience. Both of these things lead us to assess God, like the chair, is sturdy, reliable, and can hold us up.

However when the Holy Spirit asks of us that we, as God asked Abraham in Genesis, take a step of obedience towards him that leads to the unknown, rather than taking the step and trusting God (sitting in the chair if you will), we begin to question if God is truly trustworthy.

We often trick ourselves into thinking we are being obedient by exercising caution, but truthfully what we are exercising is doubt and disobedience.

May I remind you, that in Genesis, the very first time Satan arrives on the scene, his very first action is to make Eve doubt what God said to her. Satan does this by questioning the word of God by saying, “did God really say you must not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?” He goes on to question the nature of God, making Eve doubt that God had good intentions when he set the boundary for her and Adam not to eat of that tree.

Do not be deceived, Christian. Satan has the same tricks up his sleeve and uses them today on you and I.

I know there have been many times in my life God has instructed me to take a step of faith (i.e., step into the unknown for God), and I, like Eve, have allowed the enemy to…

Make me doubt what God revealed to me in His word
Make me doubt that God truly has my best interest in mind

If you’re struggling dear Christian, may I remind you of God’s heart for you:
1 John 4:18 tells us, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” God’s love for us is perfect. He is not the author of fear, but of love. His love is the calm assurance that allows us to override our fear when taking a step of faith.

We also know that God is not a God of confusion, but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33) and His word proves true (Proverbs 30:5-6).

At the time God promised Abraham a land unknown, he could have never imagined it would have led his descendants to the Promised Land following their captivity in Egypt. As we read the account in retrospect, we can see God’s faithfulness to his word over and over again.

However, may I remind you, it started with Abraham taking one step of faithful obedience.

When I have been in a place of struggle in my life, a spiritual mentor of mine has always asked me one simple question, “what is the last thing God told you to do?” She has followed the question up with a simple instruction, “just do it.”
Sin has and always will lead to death. I have found many times in my life when I have been disobedient to the Lord, I see things decay in my life. Things such as: my emotional health, my mental health, and my spiritual health. It is amazing the relief and lift that comes when I go back to what God has asked of me and “just do it.”

Obedience can be hard, but I can tell you one thing, I have never regretted it.

If you’re struggling today, may I remind you that God is a giver of good gifts. He loves you and only has the best for your life.

You can ask, fast, and pray, but if He’s already told you what to do, just do it.