We are always looking for it and desperately cry when we don’t get it… it is justice that moves us and injustice that demotes us.
It was noon when the visitors appeared to Abraham… the truth is that no one likes to receive unexpected visits, especially at this time of day. However, Abraham welcomed Them very well… and even though he was not prepared, he quickly made, not just any kind of food, but a very special delicacy.
“Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant…” So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.” Genesis 18.1-8
Abraham was able to identify the opportunity he had at that moment and Who was standing before him, that is why he received Him the he did, with all them honor and care… but, unlike Abraham, many don’t receive the Purposes that stimulate the practice of Conscious-Faith well. Though they do not express it openly, they immediately see it as something negative, and if they do it, they do it in a careless way, without any care or reverence at all.
God blessed Abraham for who he was… and because he was righteous, he offered more than he had proposed. When a person is in Sacrificial and Revolted Faith, he never thinks what he sets out to do for God is too much, too difficult or too weary. As an example of these points, consider Abraham’s ACTIONS, which reveal his spiritual vision:
Lifted
“So he lifted his eyes”. When we have spiritual vision, such as Abraham did, we look up, lift up our eyes, looking forward and not down (which represents negativism), nor do we look back.
Saw and ran
“He saw them; he ran from the tent door to meet them”. This man was already one hundred years old. It was noon and the day was extremely hot. Nevertheless, he did not walk, think, wait or ask… he ran to meet Them, taking advantage of the Opportunity (and it was exactly on that day, that the Promise made 25 years before, was fulfilled), imagine if he failed this test?
Bowed himself
“Bowed himself to the ground”. Abraham did not bow to ask, cry out, complaint… but for God to accept what he was going to offer.
Asked
“Do not pass on by Your servant”. He did not accept to lose this opportunity. He didn’t let them pass by and everything remain the same, without any changes.
Took
“ So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.” Abraham did beyond what he promised (more than water and bread). He even asked Sara to make bread (the one he liked most and nobody prepared better than Sara), he chose the best calf, the best butter…
He remained standing!
“… and he stood by Them…” This means, he was standing, ready to serve, because he recognized the opportunity that was in front of him, there was no way he would let it pass!
When you are in a Sacrificial and Revolted Faith, you never think that what you are offering is too much. The calf could certainly have feed more than 15 people. Any other person in Abraham’s place would have offered a chicken or goat, but he didn’t, because he did not pretend to be what he wasn’t—externalizing solely what he was in the depths of his being: A RIGHTEOUS MAN!
God is with you and so am I!