Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. ... And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her."Introduction
God said to Abram, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.”
What did God mean by calling Abram to “walk before me and be blameless?” I believe God was calling Abram, as he calls to us today, to be upright, to be forward-looking, and to be full of faith.
God Calls Us to Be Upright
God’s desire is that we live life to the fullest. Take what each day brings and use it to your best advantage, seeing every good thing as a gift from God. Do not hold back for some tomorrow, nor dwell too much on some past yesterday. Engage life for what it offers you right now. Live to the fullest in God’s will for you.
God Calls Us to Be Forward-looking
To be forward-looking is to look with anticipation to what God has in store for you. Life is not a random meandering from one uncertainty to another Rather, as Christians we know that we are part of God’s divine plan and that “all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,” (Rom. 8:28).
God calls us to live life expecting God to do great things in us and through us for the benefit of others. “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope,” (Jer. 29:11). We will never realize all that we can become and all that God can do through us without looking forward in faith and believing God’s promises.
God Calls Us to Live in Faith
To live in faith is to trust God to honor his promises. It does not mean we will never have doubts. However, it does mean we will never let our doubts get the best of us. It does not mean we will never become fearful. Nevertheless, we will replace fear with trust in God to do what God has promised.
Abram was obedient and believed God. He acted on God’s promise in faith and belief, for himself and for his wife, Sarai. It was an act of faith on Abram’s part, and blessings bestowed upon him on God’s part. God blessed Abram because of his faith and trust in God’s promises. Abram’s name was changed, and be was given the place and privilege of being the first of a great nation. Abram was not only blessed, but he was the source of blessing to his wife and a multitude of others. However, Abraham would have never realized and experienced all that he had become without acting on his faith and believing God’s promises to him.
God calls us today to “walk before him, and be blameless.” This is only possible through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Trust that Jesus gave his life that we might have abundant life. Walk before God in uprightness. Move forward in faith and trust, and be blessed to be a blessing.
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