IĆ¢ā¬ā¢m joining Kate Motaung for Five Minute Friday. One word prompt. Five minutes. No editing. Lots of women. All of us writing on that same word. For the month of October, I will incorporate the word prompts into my series, 31 Days Of Going In Circles.
TodayĆ¢ā¬ā¢s word is Ć¢ā¬Ā¦.
As soon as I saw the word prompt, the Scripture came rushing back into my thoughts …
We call Abrahan “father” not because he got God’s attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody … Abraham was first named “father” and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing. (Romans 4: 16a & 17, The Message)
Abraham wasn’t any great shakes until God came and made a covenant with Abraham. And the thing was, the covenant was not easy to believe – Abraham was promised that he would bear children – a lot of children, at a point in life when it was an impossibility.
In case we need a reminder as to just how much of an impossibility it truly was, we have it explained quite well …
By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said. That’s how it happened that from one man’s dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions. (Hebrews 11:11-12, The Message)
All because Abraham dared to trust God. Abraham chose to hold onto the needed boldness to get what he had been promised. He had to have the state of mind to not give up, to not waver no matter what and to wait for God to deliver on His promise.
That takes a whole lot of courage.
I admit, I am challenged by Abraham. I want to grow me some brave. I want to believe big.
I want to believe the One who made the promise.
I want to dare to trust God to do what only God can do.
This is Day 24 of 31 Days Of Going In Circles. You can find the entire series here .
Today I am joining … Five Minute Friday and Everyday Jesus and Friendship Fri. and Fellowship Fri. and Faith Filled Fri. and Faith & Fellowship and Blessing Counters .
One of my prayers is to make more daily courageous decisions. That would include daring to trust God in all circumstances. Thanks for the encouragement to dare to trust!
Amy, what hit me as I read your comment is that courageous decisions happen one day at a time. May we dare!
Fantastic Scriptural application for the prompt “dare.” Thank you for the encouragement today!
Renee, it is amazing how a one word prompt can take each person in an entirely different direction š So glad you were encouraged here. It’s been wonderful getting to know you!
Abraham is such a huge example for me. He BELIEVED God. He dared to believe a God that he had no history with. I’ve got a history with God, and even yet, I sometimes don’t dare to believe. Thanks for encouraging me to believe Him always. Blessings to you. Stopping in from #FMFparty.
Leah, isn’t it amazing at the manner in which Abraham believed God? No history. Oh that we would both dare! Grateful you shared here today!
Abraham’s faith has always been a blessing and an encouragement to my weary heart. He was counted as a man of faith, but he was imperfect and didn’t always get it right. That gives me hope. Do we dare to take God at His Word or do we confuse His response and His promise with those we are hearing in our daily living? I was convicted with that because if I equated God’s ability to follow up with man’s then I had no faith at all. I am so thankful for His patient heart.
Blessings!
Dawn
Dawn, goes to show how God is not looking for perfect heart just a heart that dares to trust Him. Like you, I am so grateful He patiently teaches me. Thank you for sharing here with me! Have a great weekend!
I heard a message on the radio on this topic this morning! HmmmĆ¢ā¬Ā¦I guess I needed to hear it again. Thanks for this! Well-written!
That is so funny! It always amazes me when God knows I need to have something repeated to me š Thank you for stopping here!
Thank you for the encouragement to dare to trust š
Sarah, may trust increase in both of our lives in the coming days!
What a great word. Dare. Abraham was daring and when I think about the audacious promise God gave him, your descendents will be as numerous as the stars in the sky – and Abraham dared to believe itĆ¢ā¬Ā¦.It is too awesome to even put into words. Thank you Joanne for this wonderful post.
Mary, that is so the right word! God’s promise was audacious! May we be more daring to believe in the days ahead. So grateful you stopped & shared with me!
YES! That is the perfect example. It’s not about what we see, but what we believe that God can do through us. When we know that we can be brave.
Well put, Natalie. May we believe, know & be brave in the days ahead!
What a great way to look at those verses. I had never considered what it would really take from Abraham to keep believing when the circumstances seemed impossible.
Stephanie, it’s true. We read & tend to overlook that Abraham was just as human as we were. It’s amazing to think about actually.
I want to dare to be courageous in what is facing me right now. thank you for the encoragement as this challenges me to trust more!
You said it well, Cathy. It is in the here & now that we must be courageous. May it be so!
What a great way to look at this verse. I have studied Abraham and Sarah before, but never considered the word daring when reading them and it is so true when you look at their circumstances.
I would not have considered the word daring either except that I remembered the wording from The Message. I guess that is why it is probably good to read varied translations as new light can be shed. Thank you for stopping here!
“I want to grow me some brave. I want to believe big.” Oh me too, my friend! Let’s get us some brave together! š
Hoping we will do just that in the days ahead, Karrilee!
Its kind of scary when you take that leap of faith, God is capable of so much more than we can fathom!
I think faith is scary but then that’s probably what makes it faith. May we leap more often in the days ahead š
Abraham really is such an example of a man of faith! I want to dare to be brave too! š Thanks for linking up with the Faith and Fellowship Blog Hop!
May we both be braver in the days ahead, Susannah! It’s always good to join you! May you have a wonderful weekend!
Thank you for sharing this encouragement today. I also pray to be faithful and dare to trust God to do what only God can do…. š
It was such a good word prompt and gave much to think about, Anita.
Great thoughts here! I want the faith to dare to believe and follow God too!
It’s amazing all that one word can prompt us to think about. Thank you for stopping here, Carol & may you have a wonderful weekend!
I’m so wanting to dare to believe in God sized dreams. Now I just need to dream a dream. š
Praying He brings the dream but somehow I bet if you sat & thought about it, the dream may already be within your heart. It’s just waiting to be birthed š
Hi Joanne! I just love the story of Abraham too. The phrase I remember is about his obedience “being credited to him as righteousness”. May I be that obedient, going out to a country I don’t know about, trusting my Lord.
Happy Weekend!
Ceil
Ceil, that is the phrase I always think of as well with Abraham. May you have a wonderful weekend!
I love that God has shown me that being brave comes from Him just as faith does. I think maybe brave is just a varied form of faith. Much like you described! Because without trust and faith we have to rely on ourselves and that’s just not something I want to do anymore in life. Thanks for encouraging, Joanne!
Heather, so do not want to rely on myself any longer either. So with you on that!
love how Abraham dared to believe…I love how God can make something out of nothing!
Kel, that is the amazing thing about God. He makes something out of nothing. And then “nothing” become something extraordinary!
Abraham totally rocks… And I love the account of his story in Romans 4. I remember when I first read about it, then before I could stop myself asked God to give me faith like Abraham… Then I remembered all he had to face and wanted to change my mind! š #TrueStory
Thanks for this faith inspiration today, Joanne. Always love stopping by!
Sharita, you made me smile as it is so true. We want faith like Abraham’s but maybe with less trials. And yet our faith truly grows under pressure. I so enjoy joining you each week!