Abraham: Father of Faith
Today's Scripture
"And he [Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness (right standing with God)." Genesis 15:6 AMP
Thoughts for Today
Godly heroes portrayed in the Bible were people of faith—their foundation was faith in God. Abraham was a hero of faith; in fact, in Romans 4:16 he is called the father of all who believe.
Abraham trusted in, relied on, and remained steadfast to the Lord. Because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous. Abraham's faith was at the core of the way he lived his life. Because of his faith, he obeyed God … he taught and directed his family to walk in God's ways … he looked forward, not back … and he lived life with an eternal perspective. This week we will look in more depth at these characteristics and what we can learn from them.
We were saved by faith when we trusted Jesus. And God has called us to a life of faith. Indeed, in Hebrews 11:6 we learn that without faith it is impossible to please God. The lives of Abraham and other heroes of faith were built on a foundation of faith in God. We are in a better position to believe than those heroes—their salvation was based on what Christ would do. Our salvation is based on what he has already done.
Consider this …
Is faith the foundation of your life? Are you trusting in, relying on and remaining steadfast to the Lord in every area of your life? Is there an area of your life that is being ruled by worry and fear instead of faith? Is there some part of your life in which you are doing your own thing instead of trusting God for his plan?
Let us ask God to help us follow the example of Abraham and other heroes of faith. Let faith be at the core of our lives, inundating our thoughts, our attitudes and our actions.
Prayer
Father, thank you that I have been saved by faith. Help me live a life based on my faith in you. Teach me to trust, not worry. Teach me to obey you in faith, not choose my own way. In Jesus' name …
These thoughts were drawn from …
Godly Heroes: A Small Group Study of Hebrews 11 by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. This guide presents a step-by-step study of Hebrews 11. It also features the profile of the characteristics of Godly heroes, written in language that relates to today's living. In this guide you will find definitions, characteristics and examples of the heroes' faith life. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups, and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.
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