# 207 Trust and Obey

The Book of Genesis

Day 207

Ge 22:15 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven,  16 and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son - 17 "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.  18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

 The “Angel of the Lord,” moved by Abraham’s trust and subsequent obedience to God declares, in blessing Me (with your acts of trust and obedience) I will bless you.” Let’s talk about this word “bless.” 

The Hebrew word here means “to kneel before.” Kneeling is a way of demonstrating honor to someone. So in trusting and obeying God, Abraham honored Him, and now God says, “because you have honored Me, I will honor you and here’s how I’m going to do it.” And then He goes on to repeat the promises He had made to Abraham all along his journey from the land of Ur.

These are not idle promises! The Lord swears He will do it! But listen, this kind of honoring is not restricted to Abraham! It is for you and I as well, as we imitate the trust and obedience of Abraham.  

In the Book of Hebrews we are challenged to not be sluggish in the area of trusting  and obeying God,  “that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,  14 saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you."  15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

Let us learn then from the patient endurance of Abraham. He waited a long time for the promised Isaac, but in the meantime,  he blessed God,  trusting that God would come through on His promises, all the while seeking to obey God and His Word. God has promised eternal life to all who are baptized and patiently endure in the faith until the end. So hang in there pilgrim. God’s promise will not fail. It is as sure as His oath given to Abraham on Mt Moriah.

The words of an old hymn, seem appropriate here: 

Trust and Obey by John H. Sammis

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

o    Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2.    Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3.    Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4.    But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

5.       Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.