Thursday: Submission to God’s Will
Daily Lesson for Thursday 26th of October 2023
Read Genesis 12:1-9. What do these verses teach about submitting to God’s will, even when the path ahead does not seem clear?
One of the main qualities of Abraham was his submission to God’s will. All the experiences of Abraham with God were characterized by this submission.
Image © Phil McKay at Goodsalt.com
Choice of the land: A quarrel erupted between the servants of Lot and those of Abraham, but Abraham was not a man to fight with his own flesh and blood. He submitted to God’s will, who again blessed him: “The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Now raise your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants forever” (Genesis 13:14-15, NASB).
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: When God revealed to Abraham the destiny of these two cities, Abraham, full of love, tried to save the cities. Because there were not even ten righteous persons in the cities, the cities were destroyed. Abraham submitted to the will of God and accepted God’s judgment of these cities.
The Lord was able to use Abraham because of his submission to God in all circumstances. It must be the same with us today.
Challenge: In our cities, we face obstacles in preaching the gospel appropriately and effectively. We need to plead with God to intervene.
Challenge Up: Find a way to contact someone who is being directly affected by a difficult situation similar to your own. Tell that person you are praying for him or her, and ask God to show you what you can do to help.
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My favourite hymn that I sing whenever I am cooking or cleaning in our home is Trust & Obey by John Henry Sammis (1887).
"Trust and Obey,
for there is no other way,
to be happy in [King] Jesus [Christ],
but to Trust and Obey."
If we "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding" (Proverb 3:5 KJV), we will be more amenable to obeying Him.
When I attended a Jehovah's Witness meeting on the 5th of August this year in Cresta, Johannesburg (Study Article 23 : Keep "the Flame of Jah" Alive), I answered question #5 "What can husbands learn from Joseph ?" with this response: "Obey God." & I was immediately corrected by a younger Jehovah's Witness member who said: "Obey God promptly."
So, now I Trust & Obey God promptly 🙂
I have learnt that when God instructs me to do something, I obey King Jesus' words in Matthew 5:37 KJV.
For all Abraham’s submission to God’s will, we know that he didn’t always get things right. He lied that Sarah was his wife to protect himself from powerful men - twice! He slept with a servant girl to "help God" fulfil his promise of a son. It seems to me that even though Abraham was submissive to God’s will, he fell into problems when God wasn’t specific in his instructions. When God said go. He went. When God said he would have a son, he believed. But God had not said what he was to do with his beautiful wife during his journey. And although God had spared Sarah before with Pharoah (Gen 12), Abraham worried King Abimelech was too evil to listen to the voice of God, so once again he told a half truth and let his wife be taken by another man (Gen 20). This was the game plan he had hatched up before they began their journey, “13 And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”
What do we do in those moments when we have not heard God’s specific instructions about a situation? Just like we do, Abraham relied on his own common sense. On the traditions of his people and the way they usually dealt with such things. On half-truths and old game plans.
Lord forgive us that even on our best days we fall far short of what you would have us be. Thank you for your patience with us. Thank you for your forgiveness when we fail to glorify you in the world by the decisions that we make. Thank you that you send us reminders, sometimes even through those that we call evil to bring us back to the right path. Thank you that where our sin abounds, your grace abounds even more and that in spite of ourselves, you still credit to us righteous. Help me today to live worthy of the calling you have given me.
I don't believe for a moment that God wasn't specific with his instructions to Abraham concerning what to do with his beautiful wife Sarai when going before the ruler of the country. He was afraid that he would be killed which was the immediate reason for him lie.
God allows us to be tempted, but the promise is that there is ALWAYS a way of escape. Every temptation overcome by faith in God's promises helps our faith to grow stronger.
Abraham's problem and our problems are the same: when situations come that we think are beyond our control, our trust in God waivers and we fail and fall short.
Sarai laughed at God and denied it, not fully believing the Lord. She waited several years before the promised son was born.
Satan the deceiver is going about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. His temptations are always strong for those that follow Jesus. We cannot overcome on our own. We receive righteousness by faith in Him! God help us today.
And what about Abraham not trusting or obeying God when his own wife told him to have sex with her maid as a way for her to have children? No Abraham did not always trust or obey God. But God never forsook him as the one who would become the one God chose to be the "Father of those who would serve God by faith."
Thank You Jesus.
Praise the Lord.
We cannot blame God when we fail. Adam and Eve did the same!
Amen to this, Tome Warner, and this is probably why the Apostle Paul refers to God's very own Son, Jesus, as being "The Second Adam." I love where the Apostle John in his Gospel, John 15:3 tells His Followers that "You are all clean because of the words I have spoken to you." It is Jesus own words and even if we fall again and again, that God considers us as being "Clean." Jesus said these words to His followers before He spilled His Blood for the world's sin. For even as Jesus was led away to be crucified, the Apostles forsook him and fled etc. But Jesus' words and spilled blood made them clean anyway, Just like Jesus words make us clean anyway too now.
I am certain that Abram’s calling did not take place in a spiritual vacuum of ‘unfamiliarity’ between God and Him. It appears to me that Abraham might have had a living relationship with God Supreme before he was called to become the head of a family destined to spread the knowledge of the only true God and His Word to all mankind.
I do not see in Abram’s response a ‘submission’, but rather the evidence of his familiarity with the God who called him, and a demonstration of his willingness that he believed that (t)his God would fulfill His promises. To my understanding, ‘All the experiences of Abraham with God were characterized by the strength of his faith' and loyalty to his God.
Abraham trusted God with his and his family’s life. He was not perfect and certainly expressed at times the leanings toward following his own counsel. I suggest that rather than looking at our relationship with our heavenly Father as a relationship based on 'submission', we can look at this relationship as based on faith and trust.
The more we trust Him, the more we love Him, we go about our life following His counsel. He certainly is ‘worthy’ of our trust, having 'earned' our faith and trust in His providence on behalf of our wellbeing by keeping His promises. How could we in the flesh judge God who is Spirit - there is no other way but faith and trust.
In my opinion, what our petitions ought to always include is the request to increase our love, faith, and commitment toward Him - to imprint in our heart and mind the Way of His Love and compassion in all we do.
I submit to King Jesus. No other being. My flesh obeys His Spirit completely. All trust is placed in Him alone.
"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as [it is] in heaven.", King Jesus in Matthew 6:10 KJV.
His will is done in my flesh (which was created out of earth) and it is in synchronicity with His Spirit.
What a wonderful study on Abraham as a TYPE/Shadow of Christ, which tbe study mentions.
The WORD of God desended to earth through incarnation in flesh, to overcome Satan, Sin and death for fallen mankind. He is the way, truth and life to a new creation.
Sodom is our wicked world we live in, Jesus is our spiritual mountain top of escape, until this world is transformed to immortality !
Shalom 🙏
Larry! Welcome back!!
We have missed your welcome comments. Hope to see them often once again.
Okay, so I have some quibbles with today's lesson. First of all, to say Abraham submitted to God in all circumstances is looking at the texts selectively. As others have mentioned, he had some failures and they weren't exactly little.
Also, I don't like the word submit because I think the connotations we give it are similar to obedience to someone like a police officer or a general in the army. I don't think that's the relationship God wants with us. I prefer to think of Him calling us to partner with Him and to trust His plans. If we do, He has amazing experiences for us and it will be a shared experience.
As Brigitte said, God didn't just call Abraham when there was no relationship. Abraham had the opportunity to know God and enough evidence to put his faith on. I feel God works this way because He's not trying to play games with us. We sometimes emphasize the disciples left their nets to follow Jesus but forget that if you look at the gospels, they had been following him somewhat prior to the official call. Jesus gave them to opportunity to make a rational decision. I believe it's the same today.
Christina and Brigitte, I share the same opinion about a „prior relationship“ with God before the calling. He equips us with a certain - I’m going to use the term „illumination“ to take the next major step.
In my younger years, when I started studying the Bible diligently and accepted Jesus as my Saviour, I became aware that I had to leave my Muslim family for good (my mother was a Catholic though), in order to maintain faith and to be fully committed.
Saul of Tarsus was a zealous missionary before God had changed his identity on the road to Damascus and called him out on a new journey. His works and writings made a great impact on the rise and spreading of Christianity.
Yet, we cannot explain all things rationally, as written in Isaiah 55:8-9:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
"...submitting to God's will, even when the path ahead does not seem clear?" So, we should learn how to trust in God. He knows what's best for us and loves us so much that He gave His only Son to die for us. Why would we doubt Him?
I think the word "submit" is an interesting choice. This word as far as I can tell does not exist in the bible regarding Abraham following God's call. This seems to be more of how we might sum up his response to God's call. The word "submit" can mean different things to different people.
The definition is to accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person.
Now this means that one can submit but not agree or be changed. They only submit because what other choice do they have when met by someone bigger or in greater authority.
However while I recognize God as the ruler of the universe and has all authority it is not my understanding that God desires us to submit only but to be transformed and changed to a better understanding and way. The word "submit" for me while true does not express the full truth of a life changing relationship with God.
It's a real test of faith to listen to God when we may Sodom situations. We need to start listening to Him in the small things first, and then we will be able to listen to Him for more serious things.