There is something intriguing about cliff diving. Can you imagine the thud of your heart beating before you jump into the sea? Each stride seems to be in slow motion as you get closer to the edge of the cliff. Thud, thud, thud. You get closer and closer. A bead of sweat runs down your forehead as you kick up dust behind you. Then you jump, trusting that the sea will catch you!
In today’s post, we’ll see the story of man who dove off a cliff of faith and splashed in God’s faithfulness. In Genesis 12, God called Abram (later named Abraham) to leave his home on the heels of an amazing promise:
“I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
And all the peoples of the earth
will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:2-3
In faithful obedience, Abram packed up his belongings and corralled his wife, nephew, and “the people they had acquired in Harran” (v.5) for a journey southwest. During his long expedition, Abram would build altars to worship his God (Gen. 12:7-8); he’d make a terrible mistake (Gen. 12:10-20); and he’d face conflict (Gen. 13), abduction of his nephew (Gen. 14:11-12), and war (Gen. 14:13-16). His journey into God’s promise was challenging and there came a point when Abram was afraid that God’s promise would not come to pass (Gen. 15:1-3). God lovingly calmed his fear and took him outside one night to help Abram visualize His promise. God told Abram to try to count the stars, for that is comparable to how many offspring he would eventually have. Abram, though the descent off the cliff of faith was long and at times discouraging, responded to God’s promises to him in faith. “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). After seeing Abram’s belief, God prophesied the early history of Israel and sealed all that was promised to Abram through a covenant offering (Gen. 15:7-21).
Many years later, a New Testament writer would classify Abraham’s life among the great heroes of faith and provide a rich description of his journey (Heb. 11:8-12). Abraham had a forward-looking faith, a deep belief that life on earth is not the end. Though he had a promised land, Abraham “was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (v.10). Thus, it did not matter that he didn’t know where he was going or that his wife was barren, Abraham considered God faithful to fulfil the promises He made.
I really enjoy reading Abraham’s story. It’s a story of living on the edge, of radical faith, of real problems, and a very faithful God. Abraham left a legacy of faith that is meant to encourage us towards obedience when our own faith journey becomes rocky. It is this story, and those of the other heroes of our faith (Heb. 11), that is inspiring my wife and I to take our own radical faith journey.
In late April 2016, God called me to quit my job as a graphic designer at my church. It was an amazing position that I grew in professionally, and I had great pay to help support my young family. Yet, I was so focused on this transient work position, that God’s will for me to study to become a pastor became a numb throbbing I paid little attention to. After the initial fears of quitting, I gradually began to understand the direction God was pointing our family to go. Through wise counsel and earnest prayer, God directed me to apply to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS). In time, our journey north became less of “if we go …” to “when we go …” even though the details were yet unclear. I finished my graphic design position in late June with no word back from the seminary about my admittance, little information on housing, and no secured jobs in North Carolina. Yet, since God pointed north and told our family to go, we had only one right solution: go in faith! The more I make intentional choices to journey north, the more peace in the not-knowing I receive.
As of today, I am admitted to SEBTS, our housing situation is nearly complete, and job interviews are coming our way. There are many details yet to figure out, but I trust that as we do our part in obedience God will work out the rest to accomplish His will. In all of this, my wife and I want to leave a legacy of faith like Abraham did – one that will encourage generations behind us to trust God at His word.
I wonder, where is God pointing you today? What comfortable area(s) are you sitting in that must be left behind to leave a legacy of faith for generations to come? God may not call you to a new city or country, He could even be calling you to disciple some people in your circle of influence who would then start a chain of discipleship. Maybe God is calling you to mentor your child or teenager to become an influential adult. Maybe God is calling you to teach your trade to someone younger than you. Maybe God is calling you to start a Bible study with people at your job. Maybe God is calling you to help that homeless person you pass on your drive home every day.
As disciples of Christ, we are called to pick up our cross and follow Jesus (Lk. 9:23). In order to pick up our cross, we must put down everything that will hinder God’s work of making us more like Christ – both our sins and things that are not sin alike (Heb. 12:1-3). The earth is certainly not our home, only a temporary residence to advance the Kingdom of God and pass on the baton of faith for generations to follow. Never forget that while your journey of faith is between you and God, but it also is to serve as a legacy for future generations.
God pointed Abraham southwest and He pointed my family north. What direction is God calling you today?