信心就是要回应神的呼召
希伯来书十一章8至19节
8亚伯拉罕因着信，蒙召的时候就遵命出去，往将来要得为业的地方去；出去的时候，还不知往那里去。
9他因着信，就在所应许之地作客，好像在异地居住帐棚，与那同蒙一个应许的以撒、雅各一样。
10因为他等候那座有根基的城，就是神所经营所建造的。
11因着信，连撒拉自己，虽然过了生育的岁数，还能怀孕，因他以为那应许他的是可信的。
12所以从一个仿佛已死的人就生出子孙，如同天上的星那样众多，海边的沙那样无数。
13这些人都是存着信心死的，并没有得着所应许的；却从远处望见，且欢喜迎接，又承认自己在世上是客旅，是寄居的。
14说这样话的人是表明自己要找一个家乡。
15他们若想念所离开的家乡，还有可以回去的机会。
16他们却羡慕一个更美的家乡，就是在天上的。所以神被称为他们的神，并不以为耻，因为他已经给他们预备了一座城。
17亚伯拉罕因着信，被试验的时候，就把以撒献上；这便是那欢喜领受应许的，将自己独生的儿子献上。
18论到这儿子，曾有话说：从以撒生的才要称为你的后裔。
19他以为神还能叫人从死里复活；他也仿佛从死中得回他的儿子来。
信息分享
若按照人的习惯和惰性来选择，人总是喜欢安居乐业、一动不如一静。然而，神却呼召亚伯拉罕离开熟悉的家乡，跟随祂的指示去某个地方。正如我们先前说过，信心是相信神的话语，然后按照神的吩咐而行。亚伯拉罕便是这样踏出了信心的一步。
当他凭着信心踏上旅程，途中却遇到不少困难和考验。他抵达迦南的时候，才发现那里已住满了居民(创十二6)，还发生大饥荒。亚伯拉罕当初如果以为，他跟着神的带领来到迦南后，就可以轻松过活，那么，他很快便发现自己错了。神带领他来到的地方，不仅已有原住民，而且，甚至没有足够粮食来供应他的家人。
神应许赐亚伯拉罕一个儿子，但以他当时的年纪，似乎是没有可能了。他的妻子也年纪老迈。然而，神最终成就祂的应许，使他夫妇俩人在老年得子。
但后来，神却要亚伯拉罕把儿子以撒当作燔祭奉献给祂。亚伯拉罕依旧毫不质疑地服从神。希伯来书十一章19节把亚伯拉罕当时的心情描述得很贴切：「他以为神还能叫人从死里复活，他也仿佛从死中得回他的儿子」。
对你而言，今天有没有一个处境、一个难题或一个需要，是你觉得没有出路的呢？只要你将信心，放在昔日亚伯拉罕所相信的同一位神身上，神就会为你开一条出路。信心乃是相信神的话语，并且遵照而行。
祷告：
主啊，我愿意立志信靠你，求你赐我信心，将我的一切交在你的手里。
FAITH FOLLOWS WHEN GOD CALLS
Hebrews 11:8-19
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;
10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.
15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,”
19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
Message
Abraham was a man of 60 when God called him to leave his home in the city of Ur. In Acts 7 Stephen said that 'the God of glory appeared unto Abraham'. What a moment that must have been. Abraham responded with a great step of faith that lifted him into the ranks of the great men of God.
Common sense would have said 'Stay where you are' but God had called him. As we said before, faith believes what God has said and acts accordingly.
Abraham had some tremendous experiences and tests while he was walking by faith. When he arrived in Canaan, he found the whole country was in the possession of the Canaanites (Genesis 12:6). If Abraham had thought everything was going to be easy, he soon discovered differently. A famine was raging at the time he arrived in Canaan. So the land God had promised belonged to someone else and there wasn't enough food for Abraham's family.
God promised Abraham a son but that seemed impossible at his age. His wife was also too old and she had never borne children anyway. But God fulfilled his word and Isaac was born in their very old age.
But then God asked Abraham to give Isaac back to him as a sacrifice. Again Abraham obeyed without question. Verse 19 is a tremendous verse. The Living Bible puts it very well: 'He believed that if Isaac died God would bring him back to life again; and that is just about what happened, as far as Abraham was concerned'.
Is there a situation, a problem, a need for which you can see no answer today? Then put your trust afresh in the same God that Abraham trusted. Let him work it out for you. He can do it. Faith is believing what God has said and acting accordingly.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY:
'Lord I turn my life over to you. Help me to leave everything in your hands. '