In Straits a Present Aid

I am reading through Genesis for worship these days. Have you ever thought that someone ought to make a movie of some of the lives of the Patriarchs? Talk about action films! In Genesis 14, we read that Lot and his family are taken captive by kings that came to fight against Sodom, Gomorrah as well as some other countries. So what does Abram do? He arms his trained servants which amounted to 318 men, chases the kings down, rescues Lot, the women in his family and their goods. This is all rounded off by a meeting with the king of Sodom, a blessing by Melchizedek king of Salem and rejecting spoils offered to him. Pretty intense. What happens next is intense too. Abram returns home as he waits for the seed God promised to bless him with.

My point in this is Abram's walk of faith. Faith that Abram had to hunt down kings and rescue his family with a puny sum of men and faith to wait on God and his timing.

It is "after these things" Genesis 15:1 says that the word of the Lord comes to Abram and says, "Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward." It is this particular section that brought such great comfort. The Lord commands Abram not to fear because he is his shield and then encourages him with the prize which is the Lord God his "exceeding great reward".

Life is so full of fears. The photo above reminds me of how I think we are with the Lord so often when a trial is near. We sort of stop in our tracks as the Lord leads forth towards danger expecting us to trust him because he has told us he is our shield. There is a catch, but it is to our benefit. He then reminds us that if we lose anything in the midst of the danger or trial, he is our exceeding great reward! What an amazing blessing! What a great God. We may suffer, but it doesn't end there for the Christian because we gain Christ and eternal life with him because he is our great reward.

I think of those who are suffering in Japan right now. I think of those who have lost everything in this world and do not have Christ. They are in my prayers! They have nothing...utterly and completely. Then there are those that are Christians who are suffering greatly as to this world, yet, praise God, they have a hope that is ever before them. They have Christ and all his promises and they have his great love that can never separate them from Him (Romans 8:35-39).

My problems seem microscopic in comparison and truly they are yet, in my world, they still are trials that require faith and trust in the Lord. The house we are renting was part of an estate and was on the market to be sold and sold it was. We just learned of it a couple days ago so we are now looking for another place to live. Moving didn't seem so overwhelming a few years back, but it is beginning to grow old especially since I've hit the 20th move in 17 years of marriage mark. I do believe that the Lord does desire this for my good and yet I'm weary (Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief. Mk. 9:24) My faith is pathetic and this is a constant reminder that sanctification most definitely is a process that is spread out over our entire lives. How grateful I am that the Lord commands me not to fear, reminds me that he is my shield and comforts me with a reward at the end of it all...life eternal with Jesus Christ!

May you be as encouraged by the Lord's promises as I am. May we go forth in the confidence of his protection and free gift. No matter where we are, no matter the trial, be it seemly small or large, the Lord is the Christian's "exceeding great reward" and this is my song that I will sing all the day long.