Genesis 12:1-4 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great: and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.”

There is much said about Abraham in both the Old and New Testaments. He is known as the “Father of the Faithful.” (Rom4:16)  Paul spends much time in Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews discussing Abraham. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself declares that “…Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” We all know about the life of Abraham: what he did, where he went, who he was married to, the events that unfolded over a twenty-five-year period before Isaac was born (Gen 12 to Gen 21), and what happened after that! And to think that all of this started with a “simple” command: get thee out.

You see, Abram was doing just fine where he was when the Lord appeared to him. He was in a familiar place, surrounded by his family, and undoubtedly with an amazing support system as they worked together in life. Then the Lord says “Go!” and Abram departed. How? Why? What for? This doesn’t make sense, right? From Abram’s perspective this is an unrealistic demand! However, it is evident (according to scripture both old and new testaments, and through the testimony of Abraham’s experiences) that there was something critical that Abraham already possessed when God told him to “get thee out.” In other words, God provided Abraham the necessary component that would empower him to do what God said. So what was this component? Let’s see if we can draw from the Apostle Paul to find out what this component is: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Phl 2:12

Paul instructs us that we need to be working out our own salvation. This makes sense. We aren’t to just be sitting around and not doing the bidding of our Master. We should be working our faith, exercising our faith, pressing into the kingdom, and so on. So how does this fit with our subject of Abraham? Let’s look at the next verse: “For it is God which worketh in you…” Wait a minute! You mean what we are working out is something that God has worked in? Absolutely! But what is it that God has worked in? “…both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Ah ha! God has worked something into us (by a work that only He can work) and then instructed us to work it out! Now let’s apply this to Abraham.

If we look at Philippians 2:12-13 and then overlay that principle onto Abraham, then we realize that God worked something into Abram BEFORE He appeared to him and demanded that he should go! God wasn’t asking Abram to do something that he couldn’t do. No, my friends! God was asking Abram to do that which God had ALREADY worked into him TO do! So THAT’S how Abram departed! THAT’S why Abram didn’t argue with God in this case! THAT’S why Abram gathered his family, his servants, his nephew, and all his belongings and headed out of the land he was familiar with to a land that God said He would show him! It’s all because God put in Abram what was necessary to act, and then God demanded Abram to act! You see, God had put faith into Abram when he was born again, and then he put the “will and to do of his good pleasure” in him and demanded that Abram move forward based on the activity of his faith!

Perhaps the greatest example of this is in Genesis 22 when Abraham obeyed God once again and sacrificed his son Isaac. Notice how God says, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest…”? God’s not telling Abraham this because Abraham wasn’t aware of those three facts! God’s telling Abraham this to let Abraham know that HE is aware of these AND fully aware of what He is asking! We ask ourselves, “How on earth did Abraham go into Moriah to sacrifice Isaac? I don’t think I could have done that!” Well, the ONLY way Abraham was able to do that was because God got to him first and put in him both “to will and to do of his good pleasure.” It’s the only way! (Oh dear, if I continue n Genesis 22 then this article will get too long!) Suffice it to say that, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac…” (Heb 11:17) How? Because God worked it in him. Wow!

Kind readers, these experiences of Abraham aren’t just some antiquated stories from years gone by. This is a timeless experience that translates to every generation in every age! How? It is by His mighty power that He continues to work among His people today, just liked He did with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Ruth, and Naomi, and Hannah, and so on!

Paul said Abraham believed God. We have the same faith as Abraham did. We possess the faith that God puts in us when we are born again. Our faith is no different from Abraham’s faith. But, like I said earlier, God expects of us. Remember what He told Job? “…for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me!” God will not demand of us without first putting the “will and to do of his good pleasure”! He worked that into Abram, and Abram, by faith, acted on that which God had worked in him. We, today, have the same ability to do that which God demands of us, because of that same faith, and because that He’s worked in us the will and to do!

If we come to God we must believe! We must believe that He is. We must believe that He is the rewarder of the diligent seeker! Paul says (Heb 11:6) our ability to come to God (in the sense of drawing near and not going to him for eternal life - remember Gal 5:22 - one component of the fruit of the spirit is faith, and that is given in the new birth) relies on the activity of our faith. We can’t please Him without faith!

God still moves in and among his children today! When we experience the soul-stirring effects of God moving in our lives, it directs our faithful walk. When God demands of us, we act. We do so not just because he demands it; we do it because he already put in us what is required so that we are able to do what he demands! You see, if God hadn’t already worked his work in us He will not demand of us.

Oh, dear children, what a blessing it is when He moves in our lives and we faithfully do that which He demands. It doesn’t mean it’ll always be easy. Remember the problems Abraham had in his journey? Remember how long that journey was? Sometimes it seems are journey is long and the way is rough, but He hasn’t asked of us anything that He hasn’t already worked in us. Whether life’s pathway is smooth or stony, as the song writer says,

“Let my faith still cling to thee. Be life’s future bright or stormy, Oh, my Father, lead thou me!”