“I believe that a trusting attitude and a patient attitude go hand in hand. You see, when you let go and learn to trust God, it releases joy in your life. And when you trust God, you’re able to be more patient. Patience is not just about waiting for something… it’s about how you wait, or your attitude while waiting.” – Joyce Meyer
FAITH & PATIENCE TO CONTINUE
Forward Thinkers, two major keys to continuing our journey is faith and patience because if we lose either we will quit before God has the final say.
Genesis 17New International Version (NIV)
17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty[a]; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. 2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram[b]; your name will be Abraham,[c] for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”
9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.
Forward Thinkers I pray this series Embrace Your Journey has encouraged and informed you over the first six weeks of 2017 and as we continue our study of Abram it’s clear both faith and patience are major keys to his journey and him becoming the Father of Faith.
Forward Thinkers notice I said becoming the Father of Faith because as we embrace our journeys we must always stay focused on the fact we are either becoming what God called us or we are traveling in the wrong direction. Drop a pin here if need be and thank God for the ability to make a u-turn and get back on the right path.
Forward Thinkers life is a constant game of change and adjustments and if we are going to embrace our journeys we must focus on what we are becoming more than we focus on what we once were. The windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason.
At 75 years of age Abram begins his journey and reminds us that we can start right where we are and we need to stop making excuses. Forward Thinkers the bible says we have not because we ask not so let’s pause right now and ask God for more patience and to increase our level of faith.
Forward Thinkers as a believer the problem is not in the promise but in my ability to continue to trust in God the Promise Giver.
Abram got his strength from a fresh revelation of who God is Forward Thinkers remember back a couple of chapters in Genesis Melchizedek had opened Abram’s eyes to an amazing vision of God’s character. The more we know about God’s character the easier it becomes to trust Him to lead us on this journey called life.
Genesis 14:19-20 Forward Thinkers here in Genesis chapter fourteen we are introduced to God as El Elyon meaning God most high, creator and possessor of heaven and earth. Abram knew God as the one who had called him out of Ur but now he knows him as the one who created and owns everything.
Forward Thinkers Abram was going to only trust El Elyon to meet his needs and he now recognizes that God has everything under control. Abram now had the faith to embrace his journey all the way through.
Hebrews 13:8 Forward Thinkers let’s also reference the book of Hebrews and remember God never changes therefore in 2017 during the Trump Administration God is still the Boss of everything.
Genesis 17:1-8 Forward Thinkers as we continue on journey let’s remember the promise was given to Abram at age 75 and now in Genesis chapter seventeen he is now 99 years old. Twenty-four years later faith and patience is still required to continue believing that God will answer your prayers.
Forward Thinkers let’s walk through the text in Genesis chapter 17 and see what God is doing through Abram and what we can learn and apply on our journey in 2017.
God reminds Abram He is going to greatly increase his numbers in spite of the fact for twenty-four years nothing has happened. Forward Thinkers the point here is to focus on the promise and paint an inner picture of how things will look instead of looking at your current negative reality.
God calls Abram the Father of many nations at a time Abram still has not had a child from his wife Sarai. Forward Thinkers the focus point here is to focus on your faith instead of your current facts. Forward Thinkers if we keep the faith God has the power to change the facts.
God tells Abram he will now be called Abraham. Forward Thinkers it’s time we also changed our mindset and let go of our old defeated self image. A new name for a new identify and remember Forward Thinkers it’s not what they call you that makes you new but what you call yourself. Forward Thinkers in 2017 only answer when they call the new you.
God says Abram will be very fruitful. Forward Thinkers no matter how long you’ve been waiting on your season never stop thinking of yourself as being very successful. Forward Thinkers also understand it’s ok if others can’t handle the new you and the success of your new season. Forward Thinkers God called you very fruitful therefore this season of your journey go for it.
God also tells Abram kings will come from him. Forward Thinkers I need you to believe there is greatness inside of you but I also need you to believe it’s time for it to come out of you and impact the world.
Forward Thinkers as I continued reading Genesis chapter seventeen it became clear to me that my level of expectation would become my level of manifestation. Forward Thinkers we must first expect something great to happen if we desire something great to happen. Forward Thinkers we must have faith filled expectations believing we will progress, increase, advance, be promoted, and walk in absolute victory.
Forward Thinkers in 2017 we must hear the Word of God, meditate on the Word, confess the Word, then release our faith and act on the Word. Remember faith without works is dead.
Forward Thinkers I learn to drive so I can drive and I can go somewhere, I learn to swim so I can swim so I swim across to the other side, therefore I learn the Word so I can use the Word to move forward on my journey.
Romans 4:20-21 Forward Thinkers in conclusion we must get to the point where we are fully persuaded what God promised He would perform.
Pastor E. A. Deckard is the Senior Pastor/Founder of the Green House International Church located, in both Houston, Texas, and the Woodlands, Texas. Pastor Deckard is also the Co-Founder of the No More Bloodshed Movement. To contact Pastor Deckard for speaking engagements contact him at pr.ghic@gmail.com, follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Periscope @ Pastor E A Deckard or the church website www.ghic.net.