abraham's faith

I recently began attending a Bible study nearby on Thursdays and we have been studying the book of Genesis. I really enjoy this especially because our church studied Genesis last year and the repeated pounding of the scriptures makes me enjoy them that more deeply. The past week or so I have been thinking a lot about Abraham. In Genesis 15:16 we read, "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." We know that this occurs after God and Abraham have a discussion about the Lord's promise to make his offspring as many as there are stars in the sky, while Abraham and Sarah remained childless. However, the text doesn't give us any indication of what his belief looked like- it just tells us that Abraham believed God- and that was what clothed him with righteousness. This is obviously a very popular text because it highlights the life of faith vs. a life that is devoted to works. (Although we know faith without works is dead- James 2:17). Faith is the foundation to the Christian life. This text is often used as a gateway into examining our own lives. Are we living a life of faith? What kinds of things is the Lord asking us to entrust to Him? We know Abraham is tested in Genesis 22 with the potential sacrifice of he and Sarah's only son, Isaac- and he responds out of faith. Once again a glowing example of the faithfulness Abraham is capable of proving. As I have been considering the passages lately I couldn't stop thinking about David's parent's church in Mexico. Before I tell the story I should share some basic background information: The pastor, Juan Carlos and his family live in a parsonage attached to the church. They have been there for as long as I have known David- so at least 10 years. There have been a lot of crime and bribery problems in Northern Mexico.... especially related to the drug cartels. Often times people will receive a letter that demands money and if it isn't awarded there is a threat of violence to you or your family. These violent acts have been carried out. So about a year ago this pastor received a letter demanding money or else his family would be killed. It gave names of all the people in his family and obviously it is known he lives next to the church. I don't know the details of what happened, but from my understanding he chose to ignore the request. About a week before the letter was received there had been stories of other murders- so his choice to ignore the request must of been quite difficult. Our church family was praying during this time in hopes that the Lord would protect Juan Carlos and his family. It is with joy that I share no harm was done to this family! As I have been thinking about Abraham's faith and Juan Carlos' faith I am filled with joy and conviction! I also considered to analyze the cost. In both situations the Lord provided good things- in Abraham's life he fulfilled his promise of inheritance and offspring, in Juan Carlos' life he provided safety. What if the Lord hadn't provided protection for Juan Carlos' family? Would we still give glory to God? Would he have justifiably regretted ignoring the plea? Often I wonder to what degree am I called to be faithful. Must I be faithful even when I am faced with persecution or danger? How do I know? The Bible speaks clearly about bribery . We know that the easy way out of harm would have been to pay the bribe (although the requests might have never stopped once this began), but we also know that faithfulness has a cost, but a far greater reward. I am especially encouraged by this passage in Isaiah 33: You who are far away, hear what I have done; you who are near, acknowledge my power! 14 The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: “Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?” 15 Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, who reject gain from extortion and keep their hands from accepting bribes, who stop their ears against plots of murder and shut their eyes against contemplating evil— 16 they are the ones who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. Their bread will be supplied, and water will not fail them. 17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar. The Lord speaks clearly through His Word the expectations of believers. We often muddy the clearness of the Word with our fears and misreadings. It makes me think of James 1: 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. and also Philippians 2 So may we all live out of our faith in the Lord and not out of our fears. For me, that has been choosing to stay in a city known for it's danger, while raising three littles, one with special needs (praise God for continued private services!), being part of a church I don't always like (turns out there is no perfect church!), and choosing to live in the moment... all the while trusting the Lord for what He has for our family. Where in your life is the Lord asking you to be faithful? Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. Hewbrews 11:1