We learned earlier that God has spoken and yet speaks to mankind, He is persistent is His efforts to guide His people. He has used prophets, visions, similes, allegories, metaphors, hypo catastasis, types and analogies (see Hos. 12:10). In Job Elihu said that He speaks once, twice and men do not perceive, Peter said that some of us are willingly ignorant. The truth is we can be rebellious and disobedient, not due to ignorance, but through willful defiance. But God remains committed to revealing truth through the diverse methods and He seeks to prompt repentance, while warning that ignoring the warnings will lead to accountability. Today’s lesson seeks to reveal truth given in a type.

Grief is a natural part of life, but as Christians we are not to grieve as if we don’t have a future hope. Likewise, death is a natural part of life, but if we die in Christ our future is secure. While we live we are to operate in integrity, be honest and just in our transactions, make plans to leave an inheritance for those who come after us, but the greatest legacy we can leave is a godly hope; knowing that God will fulfill every promise made and those we leave behind will lay hold to it if they walk worthy of their call in Christ Jesus.

Impacting lives for eternity through the teaching of God's Word that His people might be established to express and advance His Kingdom.

The Bible calls for us to examine ourselves to test whether we are truly living in faith and if Jesus' Spirit abides in us. This evaluation ensures that our trust is in Christ rather than our own works and can lead to repentance or assurance. In today's lesson God calls Abraham to such an examination, which results in him being found faithful and leading to God showing us how He will provide the necessary sacrifice for our sin in the future.

Trusting and obeying God in seasons of transition will lead to establish of the promise and new beginnings; it will also secure your standing, validate your authority, and the divine blessing. God remembers every word He has spoken, He sees and hears you regardless of your location or position in society or ministry and He has made provision, even for outcasts. Trust God, walk in integrity and know that your future is secure.

I believe that before we enter into a wilderness, a desert, trials or tribulations, God seeing ahead, will give us a word to encourage us, to fill us with hope, to help us recognize His hand in our lives when it comes to past. We have to remember and cast away our confidence despite any opposition we may encounter. Trust in the Lord, seek Him daily, be receptive to godly counsel and be doers of the word and not hearers only and we can lay hold to the promise, by faith

Take heed how you interact with others. Walk in the light as God is in the light in order that you might represent Him well before others. Avoid being deceitful and encouraging others to be deceitful. Let every action and every response be born of righteousness and a desire to maintain justice, through a clear conscience and a commitment to doing what is right in the eyes of God, that He might be glorified before all men.

The Bible admonishes us to be watchful and to examine ourselves to make sure that we are operating in faith. That means, hearing God, trusting Him, and obeying His commands. We have to take care to put to death all the deeds of the flesh because it is easy to resort back to our old ways and that could be catastrophic, not only for ourselves but for others as well. Fear, which has torment, can lead to distrusting God and our attempting to resolve our issues through the flesh. Abraham resorts to his old ways, putting Sarah, Abimelech, his nation and God’s plan in jeopardy; but God demonstrates His grace and faithfulness in upholding His covenant with Abraham.