09/04/2016 - NOT TOO OLD TO OBEY

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So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.  Genesis 12:4

From what we understand, Abraham was a rich farmer that heard God´s voice and obeyed Him. He was living in a mystical land, filled with harmful spiritual practices, and since he did not agree with them and he feared the Lord, one day he received an order from the Heavens: leave your land and folks behind and go to an unknown land. When he obeyed God, he proved that he loved the Most High and that he was also loved by Him. 

The patriarch could have said that he was too old to go into an adventure in lands he didn’t know, since he was 75 years old. However, as an obedient servant, he did not give any excuses and he was set to execute the divine order. Likewise, never say no to God, but, yes, be faithful in doing what you were ordered to do, even if you don’t know where to go. Once you obey, knew orientations will be give to you. Notice that we have to walk by faith and not by what we think or feel is best. 

One of the things the enemy uses to take the blessing away from us is to make us feel not qualified, just like it happened to Moses. He told the Lord that he was slow of speech and slow of tongue (Exodus 4:10). Now, didn’t the One who created all things know about this? How many times did God give us a direction and, instead of obeying Him, we say that we are not qualified or lack the resources to fulfill it, or we give another excuse?  

For example, the inhabitants of Judah were heading to a humiliating captivity, and the Lord was in a hurry to warn them; that is why he prepared Jeremiah from the womb. However, when He revealed His plan to the boy, the answer was that he was a youth. So, Jeremiah heard that he shouldn’t say this, because for that moment, despite his age, the Lord had prepared him to be the prophet of that nation and of others as well (Jeremiah 1:6,7). The right thing to do is to head out like the Omnipotent has said. 

Why make up excuses if the One who is calling you knows everything, and way before He called you, He had already prepared you for such mission? The Most High will not accept any excuses from you. However, if you refuse to go, He will call another person to fulfill the work He had destined for you. The man who hid the talent and gave it back intact was condemned to eternal suffering (Matthew 25:28-30). There is nothing better than doing what God tells us to do. 

Why did Demas live the present world, forsaking Paul (2 Tim 4:10)? He let himself be taken by some demon, although he had had the privilege of walking side by side with the soldier that fought the good fight until the very end, and who kept the faith. Don’t do like Demas, but go until the very end (Dan 12:13). Certainly unlike the apostle, he came to the end of life knowing that he would not receive the crown of justice. He traded the reward for the pleasures of the flesh. 

 

 

Now, Isaiah, when he heard the voice of God, said: Send me (Isaiah 6:8). Certainly, many people said no to the command, and today, they are away from the Father and in eternal suffering; saying that they were very stupid to miss out on the best that was in store for them. Be firm and constant in the work that was entrusted you, for God loved you much when He chose you. 

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares