Friday, June 12, 2020

Overthinking Faith

 
Friday, June 12, 2020
Genesis 24:1-9

Abraham was now a very old man, and the Lord had blessed him in every way.  One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh.  Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women.  Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.”  The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?”  “No!” Abraham responded.  “Be careful never to take my son there.  For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants.  He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.  If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine.  But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.”  So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham’s instructions.

For each of the last three years this text has jumped off the page each time I read it.  And then, I had no choice but to write what God was saying to my heart.  I went back and read each of those devotional pieces and found the common thread of Abraham living in the faith he proclaimed.  The writer of Hebrews explains:

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance.  He went without knowing where he was going.  And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents.  And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise.  Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.  Hebrews 11:8-10

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…the faith, this belief in One whom they could not see, and living in that reality was passed on to successive generations by….well, faith!
By entrusting finding a bride for Isaac to his servant, Abraham was staking the entire future of more than his family to this man; Abraham was putting the witness of God’s faithfulness on the line.  I believe the patriarch had finally learned, at that stage of his long life, to be comfortable with trusting God’s way more than trying to control everything to make it all come out right.  This is not exactly a doctrinal textbook definition of faith, but it sure says what it means to live it on the ground.
By comparison, Abraham’s servant may have been overthinking, rather than serving.  Perhaps he’d been hanging around Abraham too long, and had seen too many of his master’s flaws, lying to the Egyptians, and trying to give God’s promises a little extra insurance by having a backup heir in Ishmael.  The servant, like a cunning politician, wanted every possibility covered.  When he heard Abraham’s instructions, he asked, well, what if…and what if…and what if….  Abrahm’s oldest, most trusted servant was overthinking the issue of faith.  In patient, but no-nonsense faith, Abraham told the man…no what if’s, just do what I asked you…if God doesn’t do what He said, then you’re released from your promise. 
In hindsight, I believe Abraham had learned to trust that what he’d heard from God was to be believed, not overthought.  If God didn’t bring it all to pass, it was Abraham who had misunderstood God, and God would handle even that.
Abraham’s servant took the oath, and, later we find him wondering as he’s looking at Rebekah, is this the one?  The man had sworn an oath, and he was trying his best to fulfill his responsibility, but he just couldn’t help himself trying to make sure.  Abraham’s man may have been his oldest and most trusted servant, but he was also his Overthinker-in-Chief!
Let’s Pray Together:

Father, we’d much rather live like Abraham, trusting You, no matter what the circumstances look like, or what the prevailing culture prescribes we should do, or not do.  Help us to receive for this day Abraham’s kind of faith.

For You Today
One thing is certain about living the faith we proclaim – it ain’t easy!  But, when we do (finally) toss off all our tendency to control our circumstances, and truly let God have those circumstances, the relief and joy of trusting Him is a sure way to discover we don’t need anti-depressants or panic attack drugs to get through another day!
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!
Title Image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
For another post on Genesis 24 see Finding Rebekah and Marrying Wisdom and Faith and The Promise  

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