Again, we are not in the place where we stay stagnant – we are called to move forward – extend our tent. Jesus says in Mark 5:36, “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.” Being afraid is just the opposite of trust or having faith in Jesus. David echoes this in Psalms 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you”. David wrote this when he was hiding from Philistines.
Trusting the Lord is dependent on his strength and faithfulness without any worries – that is moving forward, extending tent of our spiritual and earthly life.
Whatever God speaks — whether a promise to receive or a command to obey — we move forward with confidence, knowing that He is faithful to fulfill His promises and powerful to enable our obedience. True faith is not only something we carry in our hearts; it is something we live out through our actions. We trust Him, and we step forward accordingly.
As we look into the life of Abram, we discover rich and timeless lessons of faith. Scripture calls Abram the father of faith (Romans 4:11), a man who trusted God even when the path was unclear. Yet we also remember that while Abram models faith for us, Jesus Himself is both the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Abram shows us how to walk by faith, but Christ is the One who gives us faith and brings it to completion.
Obeying and trusting his commands
We read in Genesis 12:1-2
1 Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing
You see, God’s blessings are often followed by His instructions. With every blessing comes a calling, and with every calling comes a command. Whether the command seems small or great, a command from God is always sacred and worthy of obedience. This reminds us of Jesus’ words: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10). Faithfulness in the small things prepares us for greater things in God’s kingdom.
Abram obeyed, And he went out, not knowing where he was going.(Hebrews 11:8). This is the actual trust to God and to his promises.
We don’t have to know or understand 100% what the word of God says – when we obey it – believe in his word, that is sufficient. If God is gracious and wants the best of him manifested in us – that is more than enough. That’s what Abram did. It was good for him to stay with his father’s household, his people and his own country. But that is the comfort zone – that is depending on the earthly things – what our eyes can see. God is beyond that – more of that – and has far better planning for us. So the best thing for all the believers is – trust the Lord through his words.
When Abram started obeying commands of God – a couple of things came across his life. Which I call another essential in the journey of trusting the Lord whole heartedly.
Zero covetousness & contentment
None of us can love two things equally at the same time. That is why the Lord said, “No one can serve two masters”(Matthew 6:24). One master is money or earthly things, but the Lord is to be the only master for us.
We read in Genesis 13, when Abram and Lot started growing together – moved together from place to place. When they reached Bethel, verse 6 says, “the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together”. Wasn’t it a great blessing? Yes, it was. But not the best of God. We read that quarreling arose between their herders.
Verse 8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
This is where we see a picture of zero covetousness – it says ‘Abram said to Lot’ – then comes – letting Lot take his share first. When we have zero covetousness – we initiate things, don’t wait for others to initiate – then let others be the first so that they can choose the best. Do we really practice this? In the journey of trusting the Lord – these kinds of moments may come across our path – and we have to decide to let go, not to harm others – we still have to love others – but fulfill God’s command.
Another great moment – when king of Sodom asked Abram to keep the goods for himself but return the people, we read a radical answer from Abram, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’”(Genesis 14:22-23) This demonstrates, Abram had zero covetousness, and that is total trust to the Lord, almighty God alone.
1 Timothy 6:6 “godliness with contentment is great gain”. Abram had contentment in godliness.
Love towards men
When a person truly receives a revelation of God’s love toward humanity, the natural next step is to love others in the same way God has loved us. Revelation must always lead to transformation. That is why Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:3, “If I give away all I have, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but have no love, I gain nothing.” In other words, even the greatest sacrifices lose their value when they are not rooted in love. God’s love in us must overflow through us.
After Abram separated from Lot, Lot started living in Sodom – then we read that the four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom(Genesis 14:11-12). As soon as Abram heard what had happened, he gathered the 318 trained men born in his household and went out to rescue those who had been taken. By God’s grace, he was victorious and brought back both the people and the goods. Abram’s success was not driven by personal gain, but by love for others—and the Lord always releases His favor when love, not selfish ambition, is the motive. This becomes even clearer later in the story, when we see that Abram kept nothing for himself from the victory. His heart was set on people, not possessions.
After these – we read that the Lord promised Abram.
Genesis 15:5 God took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
This was one of God’s beautiful moments in Abram’s journey of faith. It came along the way—while Abram continued to trust fully in the Lord, the Almighty. His confidence was not in riches, nor in victories, but in God alone.
And this invites us to examine our own hearts: Are we devoted to trusting the Lord in this same way? Are we learning to walk with zero covetousness? Do we carry godliness with contentment? Do we love others as we ourselves have been loved by the Lord?
May the Spirit of God help us to see these truths in every area of our lives. Truly, trusting the Lord is the greatest blessing we can hold onto. And when we do, God remains faithful to fulfill even greater promises—just as He promised Abram in Genesis 12:2, and later revealed the fullness of that promise in Genesis 15:5. His promises are sure, and His timing is perfect.
God bless you!