Genesis

When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive,
he led out his trained men, born in his house,
three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

Genesis 14:14 (NASB)

 

“How Do We Handle Difficult News?”

 

In a moment’s time, Abram, like many of us, got that dreaded “middle of the night” phone call. Of course in the year 2091 BC there was no thought of wired communication, network providers, or digital signals, but you get the big picture here. I have to wonder, did Abram’s heart stop for a split second? Did he need to catch his breath or hold on to someone for balance as his head was swimming with fear? Was he frozen in disbelief for a moment as he reeled with the news that his nephew was among the people taken in the Sodom and Gomorrah raid? Did he feel the blood drain from his head and have an almost “out of body” experience? We don’t know what Abram’s reaction was as the Bible is silent. We cannot assume, but we do know that Abram was human and many times this is the first reaction to difficult news.

How about you? Have you gotten one of those “dreaded phone calls” or a new diagnosis? Does it seem like your world just crashed in on you even though you have been following hard after God? And you wonder, “what’s up with this”? When our life is interrupted with a tragedy and we can’t seem to understand the why’s or how’s we need to boost our faith by reading of God’s faithfulness in the lives of others who had similar struggles. Abram knew God was with him and took charge with his trained servants. They marched forward with complete success getting all the goods back and rescuing Lot from his captivity.

With God’s strength and guidance, Abram took charge. Will you trust God has a destiny for you? Will you believe that He will use this situation for what’s best for your personal growth as well as for His Kingdom? You must learn to believe (maybe not always “feel”) that whatever is best to enlarge God’s Kingdom is ultimately the best thing for you as well. Why don’t you take a moment right now and truthfully examine if it’s your desire to be a part of enlarging the kingdom and to have growth in your faith? By pondering this question, it becomes not just a thought, but you begin to identify where you need to surrender. God’s helping power will work with you as you lay down your life to be used however God sees fit for His glory. Let us be a people with a heart after God, who desire to mature in our faith (ultimately in our Christian walk) so that when those crises come into our lives, our first reactions can be a calm trust in the Lord’s care for us. In order to have that trusting dedication, one must first taste and see that the Lord is good and that we are blessed in Him ( Ps 34:8). Then we should, above all, hunger for a right, close, and intimate relationship with the Living God.

After the attack and on their journey back home, Abram meets this mysterious priest named Melchizadek (means king of Righteousness) of Salem (means peace). Many believe this was a Christophany – an Old Testament appearance of Jesus. Melchizadek shared with Abram bread and wine as they worshipped the one true living God.

God is ready to meet you both physically and spiritually and like Abram… will you trust and worship the Lord your God? He will bring Himself to your hour of need. It’s His Holy Spirit who encourages, guides, and comforts us. Remember WHO God says He is and take time to praise Him for the love and care He has for you and your family. One of the Hebrew names you can call out when in a spiritual battle is YAHWEH NISSI (The Lord is My Banner). Flags or banners are carried at the front of an army that is going into battle and are used to symbolize that victory has already been won! The battle is the Lord’s and Jesus Christ has already won the victory over the enemy, so walk out in that truth today, and remember, HE HAS A PURPOSE FOR YOU!

Today is your day… God has given it to you. What will you do with it? In your crisis, will you remind yourself that this time (your life span) on earth, is the only time you will ever be asked to be faithful. You won’t need faith in heaven because all will be understood and revealed. Your eyes will behold your Savior face to face.