“…your reward shall be very great.”

                New Position “…and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.”

                In Christ we have a new position or legal status before God. We have been totally justified from the penalty of sin; we have been adopted as children of God and we are now “…joint heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17). All this comes as a result of our conversion. Have you been truly converted?

                New family “…count the stars, if you are able to count them.”

                As children of God we enjoy many blessings and privileges, such as belonging to a brand new family, the family of God. Every true believer is part of this blessed and eternal family, where God is the Father and we are brothers and sisters.

                I have found that in most cases, the family of God has been closer and more helpful than any relative in the flesh. We are united in the same Spirit, and we worship the same God. One day we will have a complete family reunion in heaven. On that great day we shall be like the stars, not only in “number,” but in splendor and eternal glory.

                New possession “…to give you this land to possess.”

                The third reward is our heavenly inheritance. To Abram, God promised the land; to the Christians, Jesus promises heaven. He has prepared a special place for us in glory through his sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus is our “admission ticket” into heaven. He is the only way to God (John 14:6). If you have not made your reservation yet, call on Jesus. He is standing by twenty-four hours a day. He will take your call.

                A. G.

                “He divided his forces against them by night…”

                There was a time in my life when my innermost desire was to become a great firefighter. I was awestruck by the “glamour” this profession offered, such as becoming an everyday hero, walking out of burning buildings with babies in my arms, and rescuing little old ladies.

                Although I still relish the role of a hero (I have been involved in a few minor rescue missions), firefighting does not hold the same appeal. Now I know it involves dealing with injuries, burns, and blood. I wanted to be a “hero,” not a doctor.

                Abram was, no doubt, a man of peace. The last thing in his mind was probably to get involved in a rescue operation, even less a war, but he was forced to do it. Lot, his foolish nephew, was taken captive by the enemy, and it was up to Abram to save him. He attacked the enemy camp by night and was rewarded with a complete victory.

                God is extending an invitation to would-be heroes to enlist in the most fantastic and rewarding rescue mission. This is not for the faint-hearted or lukewarm Christian, for it requires complete devotion to God. The mission: to attack the forces of darkness and rescue as many souls as we can from our spiritual enemy.

                “Then he brought back all the goods…”

                Jesus came to seek out and save the lost (Luke 19:10). His mission is in need of courageous volunteers who would carry the torch of the gospel to the prisoners in the kingdom of darkness and despair. His mission is not impossible.

               A. G.

                So Abram went up from Egypt…

                The only difference between an unbeliever and a Christian is Christ in the heart of the believer. As Christians, we also fall into temptation and sin, but as Bob Carlyle sings, “We fall down, we get up and the saint is just a sinner that falls down and gets up.”

                Jesus is our strength; he lifts us up when we are down, he forgives us when we confess our sins, and he gives us the wisdom to choose better the next time we face temptation. The popular Christian group Audio Adrenaline testifies about this in their song “Get Down.” You might not enjoy the rhythm, but the message is clear: God lifts us up.

                “…to the place where he had made an altar…”

                Abram ascended from Egypt and returned to Canaan, to the altar, to God. In the same manner, we must return to the Lord. All of us have fallen down one time or another, but we need to be as resilient as boxing champion. A true champ may fall in the ring, but he will find a way to get up, we return to the fight, and win.

                “Abram settled in the land of Canaan…”

                Abram’s example is worthy of emulation. His sin was great, but so was his recovery. How did he do it? He went up from Egypt (the place of temptation and sin), returned to Canaan (the place where God had called him to be), and settled once again in the Promised Land (the place where God had called him to be), and settled once again in the Promised Land (the place where God was waiting for him).

                God’s will for our lives is to be not near, around, or even close to him, but in Him. Let us return to our first love; let us come back to our Lord.

                A. G.

                “So Abram went down…”

                Abram, the man God called to possess the Promised Land, went down into Egypt for food. What shall we do with this information? Was Abram right in going to the world (symbolized by Egypt), or was he supposed to starve to death in Canaan?

                The key, I think, was the intention of Abram to reside in Egypt. By making the decision of descending into Egypt to stay, Abram was opening the door to sin. This is reminiscent of Lot’s decision to move into Sodom. Perhaps this little “Egyptian affair” opened Lot’s eyes to the possibility of worldly living in Sodom later on.

                Sin affects our lives and those around us. Sin does not explode suddenly in all its wickedness, but is rather a process that sometimes begins with a “little descent.” The “seed” of sin is planted in our hearts, and we are sent in a downward spiral so deep that sometimes we end up committing the same acts we often criticize.

                “Say you are my sister…”

                The evil seed of sin, when planted in our hearts, bears a wicked and rotten fruit. This seed is different for everyone. For Eve, it was knowledge; for David, a beautiful woman; and for Abram…an empty stomach.

                One sin always leads to another, and Abram, having descended into Egypt, was now lying about the identity of his wife. We must call on Jesus; the owner of the garden of our heart, when the devil comes to plant his sinful seeds. We are not helpless victims; we can say no to temptation because Jesus paid in full.

                 Remember, no seed=no sin.

                 A. G.

                “Alex”

                I heard a voice calling me from the kitchen the other day.

                “Aleeex”

                I heard the same voice again. It startled me. I looked all around the house and I saw no one. I was a little shaken by the whole experience. I thought I was going crazy. There was no one in the house and it was not coming from the TV, computer or my cell phone.

                I turned around to go to bed and then I heard it loud and clear again:

                “Aaaleeex!”

                I was looking at my dishes calling me to wash them. I had ignored them for days now, busy doing other things. The call of the sink grew louder and louder, until I gave up and washed all the dishes. I could almost hear a sigh of relief.

                There are many voices calling for our attention today; their calling is loud and powerful. Our jobs families, responsibilities, chores and even entertainment demand our attention. Some voices lead us to be productive, while the majority of them are just distractions and even worse, temptations.

                The voice of God also calls every morning for our undivided attention. The only difference is that most of the time his voice is not loud like the others. He calls us in our quiet times to come to Him and spend time in meditation and prayer.

                This is what happened to Elijah the prophet:

“Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold , the LORD  passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it…” (1 Kings 19:11-13 emphasis added)

                 Do not allow for the many voices of this world to drown the “still small voice” that speaks from heaven. To hear this divine voice, you must turn off all the other ones and spend time in prayer, reading God’s Word and in worshipful meditation.

                 There is always time to do many things in our daily lives, but let us give God our undivided attention every morning and begin the day with Him. During the rest of the day, seek other times to be alone with the Savior and end every day in communion with the Lord.

                  If you and I begin to do this, we will find out that we will have time for more things than we could ever imagine…even for dirty dishes.

                  A. G.