He was called...

I love this photo!  I know my doggies run along happily playing and jumping on each other and truly are each other's friend.  They count on each other at times they don't understand something.  It is amazing to watch their interactions.  Especially my two puppies watching and learning from Sadie.  Friends.

We all know who our friends are...the ones that check on you when they haven't heard from you.  The ones that show up just to be sure you are okay.  The ones that tell you difficult things that you might not want to hear.  We give thanks for our friends!  I love you friends!

I am still studying Abraham this week and this morning I was lead to James 2: 20-23.  Please take a moment to read this passage yourself.  We are reminded of Abraham offering Isaac on the altar.  The story is found in Genesis 22, so you might look at that story as well.  

The verses that grasp my heart and my attention are 22 and 23.

You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.

Talk about putting your faith in action.  Abraham truly was called to believe with all of his being...after all we aren't talking something easy.  Offering one's child would be the absolute most difficult thing to do and I know this without having a child.  Yet Abraham knew God.  He knew and he believed.  His actions speak so loudly.  Do you think he had the slightest doubt?  I don't know, but it struck me studying it this time that he didn't have doubt.  The only way not to doubt would be that He knew God.  He had such a relationship with God that he believed that God would provide exactly what he needed.  He knew, he trusted, he believed and he acted.

Our faith becomes stronger by following Abraham's example.  We must know, we must trust, we must believe and we must act.  If we do all of these things we are living our faith and we will also be called God's friend.  I looked up the original Greek word that James was using and it means companion, friend.  Abraham was a companion to God.  Whose companion are we?  Who do we spend our time with getting to know?

Time well spent is time spent with God.  In this new year I am working on becoming a woman that is truly seeking God's advice through spending more time in His Word and with Him.  I am intent to listen and grow.  

I love Facebook.  I admit it.  I get to keep up with lots of friends that I've had from the beginning of this life journey to present, but more important than this is time growing with God.  I want this friendship with God to be more...

Growing,

Debbie