“By faith he (Abraham) lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:9-10, NASB)
All of us are looking for contentment in this life. We also want our lives to make a difference and amount to something of which our families and friends can be proud. The question is, though, how are you and I pursuing what we would describe as a successful life?
Abraham lived in the land of promise 100 years. It wasn't until Joshua led the children of Israel into the promised land before they actually possessed the land. It was around 430 years between God promising the land to Abraham and Joshua possessing the land. Even though Abraham lived in the promised land for 100 years, he was still considered a stranger in the land.
When I lived in Montana I noticed a peculiar convention among the native Montanans. To them it mattered what generation Montanan you were. I remember hearing one man telling me with a cynical attitude that he was only a third generation Montanan. He said his family was considered fairly new to the state! That blew my mind. That probably meant that his family had only been in the state around fifty years. To me that was a long time!
Abraham was a wealthy and well-respected man. He had enough money and power to buy and secure a good life for him and his family. Even though he had influence and power, he waited for God to fulfill His promise. It did not matter that he lived in the "promised" land; God's timing is what mattered to Abraham. He had already experienced the frustration and failure of trying to accomplish God's plan on his own.
I don't know about you, but I have experienced my share of trying to control my life. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” (NASB) "Death" is whatever you and I experience when we attempt to control our lives. The New Testament refers to this way of operating as "flesh." Jesus said, "...the flesh profits nothing!" (John 6:63b NASB)
I want my life to matter. I'm tired of trying to be in control. Do you realize what it would mean for me to be in control? I would have to be omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent! That is impossible, yet sometimes I have reacted in disappointment to an unmet expectation as though I should have been able to control my circumstances.
This life is one continuous opportunity to trust the One who can be trusted. God is the architect and the builder. Jesus continued to say in John 6:63, "the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life."
Thank You Father for Your Life!
