{"id":34867,"date":"2023-01-14T03:30:29","date_gmt":"2023-01-14T11:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=34867"},"modified":"2023-01-08T15:20:11","modified_gmt":"2023-01-08T23:20:11","slug":"january-14-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2023\/01\/14\/january-14-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"January 14, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

A Long Walk<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cI am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.\u201d <\/em>Genesis 17:1b<\/p>\n

Abram had lived a life of worshiping many gods. This was his heritage, passed to him by his birth family. The first recorded words we have that changed everything for him are found in Genesis 12:1, when the Lord told Abram, \u201cGet out of your country, from your family, and from your father\u02bcs house, to a land that I will show you.\u201d<\/em> This sounds like a very long walk to me. In effect, God is saying, \u201cLeave everything you know and love. I\u02bcll let you know when you get where you\u02bcre going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abram was 75 years old when God spoke these words to him (Genesis 12:4), and he obeyed immediately. \u201cSo Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him.\u201d<\/em> When Abram was 99 years old, God spoke the words, \u201cWalk before Me and be blameless.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The words of Genesis 17:1 were uttered by God Himself to Abram. \u201cI am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.\u201d <\/em>With careful reading, we see that 24 years earlier, God had told Abram to start <\/strong>walking (\u201cGet out\u201d); then when he was 99, God \u00a0told Abram his position<\/strong> while walking (\u201cbefore Me\u201d), and told him how<\/strong> to walk (blamelessly), but not where<\/strong> to walk. Abram is not told where to go, nor where he will end up. Remember, he is 99 years old!<\/p>\n

Promises were given along the way. He experienced famines. Lost family. Gained lands. Had a son. Had another son. Had to give up a son. Almost had to kill a son. Had more sons later on.<\/p>\n

Life can seem a very long walk at times, can\u02bct it? We wonder if we will ever come to the end of crushing grief, of burning shame, of endless drudgery. We feel that we never will enter the promises, that God will never use us, that life will always be hard. It\u02bcs all just taking TOO LONG.<\/p>\n

There are no easy answers. But take heart, loved ones. God is working. Purposely adopt the attitude of Abram\u02bcs wife, Sarah, who lived through every minute of this long walk with her husband. It is said of her in Hebrews 11:11, \u201c…she judged Him faithful who had promised.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Lord, sometimes it seems the walk is too long. Revive Your promises in us. Let us sense again that You are working Your good and perfect will in us. Help us to see You as the Faithful One that can be trusted, in spite of what we see around us. In Jesus\u02bc Name, Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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