Faith Requires Action
In this week's Torah Portion, Lech Lecha לֶךְ־לְךָ, we begin following the journey of one of the most important individuals in biblical history: Abraham. A man whose faith and obedience would eventually change the course of human history. But what I find particularly interesting about his story is how it begins. God doesn't appear to Abraham and tell him to sit down, relax, and wait for Him to fulfill His promises. Quite the opposite. God gives Abraham a command:
"Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you." (Genesis 12:1)
In Hebrew, the command is Lech Lecha לֶךְ־לְךָ, commonly translated as "Go forth," but it's deeper meaning is "Go for yourself" or "Go by your own strenght." The expression carries a personal emphasis, and Jewish interpretations have long explored the idea that Abraham's journey was ultimately for his own benefit. I find that fascinating because it reveals a principle that appears repeatedly throughout Scripture: God's instructions are not given to make our lives unnecessarily difficult. They are given for our benefit, even when obeying them requires effort, sacrifice, and stepping into the unknown.
I've been a Christian for over three decades, and it is only in the past few years that I've come to understand something that has completely changed the way I approach my relationship with God. God will enable us. He will guide us. He will strengthen us. He will open doors and provide opportunities. But He does not ordinarily do for us what He has already given us the ability and responsibility to do ourselves.
And I believe this is one of the most important lessons we can learn from Abraham.
Last week, in the Torah Portion Noah, we saw God telling Noah to build an ark. Notice how personal that command was:
"Make yourself an ark of cypress wood..." (Genesis 6:14)
Noah had to build an ark for himself and his family. Yes, God promised shelter from the destruction and salvation. He gave Noah a warning, time, and provision to deliver himself, his family, and ultimately humanity. God did not, however, spoon feed him the deliverance.
This week, God tells Abraham:
"Go for yourself."
Do you see the pattern?
God did not build the ark for Noah. He gave Noah the instructions, the opportunity, and the means to accomplish the task. Noah had to act upon them. Likewise, God did not transport Abraham miraculously from his homeland into the Promised Land. He told him to go. Abraham had to gather his possessions, organize his household, leave his familiar surroundings, and begin walking toward a destination he did not yet know.
God provided the direction. Abraham had to take the steps.
And sometimes I think we Christians have a tendency to reverse those responsibilities.
We pray for God to change our circumstances while refusing to change our behavior. We ask God to improve our relationships while refusing to forgive, apologize, or communicate. We pray for better health while neglecting the things within our control. We ask God to bless our finances while making no effort to manage what we already have. We ask God to help us grow spiritually while leaving our Bibles unopened and our prayer lives neglected.
Then we wonder why nothing changes.
Please don't misunderstand me. I believe in prayer. I believe in miracles. I believe that God can accomplish things that are completely beyond our human abilities. I've experienced His intervention in my own life. But I also believe that sometimes we are asking God to do something He has already instructed us to do.
Imagine Noah praying every morning:
"Lord, please save my family from the coming Flood."
And God answering:
"Noah, I already told you to build an ark."
Imagine Abraham praying:
"Lord, please take me to the land You promised."
And God answering:
"Abraham, start walking."
Sometimes the answer to our prayers is not another miracle. Sometimes it is obedience. Sometimes it is action. Sometimes it is simply getting up and doing what we already know we need to do. And I want to emphasize something else about Abraham's journey. God did not show him the entire route before asking him to leave. He told him to go to a land that He would show him.
That required faith. Real faith. Not faith that waits until every question has been answered and every risk has been eliminated. Faith that trusts God enough to begin moving even without knowing exactly what lies ahead. Hebrews describes Abraham's response beautifully:
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." (Hebrews 11:8)
Notice the sequence. He believed. He obeyed. He went. His faith produced action. And that action eventually produced fruit. That is what I mean when I talk about living faith.
Faith is not merely believing that God exists. It is trusting Him enough to align our decisions and behavior with His instructions. And this principle is not limited to the Old Testament. We see it repeatedly in the ministry of Yeshua. When Jesus encountered people who needed healing, He often acknowledged their faith. To the woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years, He said:
"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." (Mark 5:34)
To Bartimaeus, the blind man who cried out for mercy, He said:
"Go, your faith has healed you." (Mark 10:52)
But notice something about these encounters.
The woman had to push through the crowd and reach out to touch His garment. Bartimaeus had to cry out for mercy, even when people told him to be quiet. Their actions did not give them the supernatural power to heal themselves. That power came from God. But their faith moved them to act. And when Jesus healed a paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda, He commanded him:
"Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." (John 5:8)
Imagine being unable to walk for thirty-eight years and suddenly hearing someone tell you to get up. The healing came from Christ. But the man still had to respond to the command. Get up. Pick up your mat. Walk. Again, the same pattern.
God enables. We respond. God provides. We participate. God gives the command. We obey. And I believe we need to recover this understanding of faith in modern Christianity.
Somewhere along the way, we have sometimes confused trusting God with doing nothing. We think that if we have enough faith, God will simply take care of everything while we wait. But biblical faith is rarely passive. Noah built. Abraham walked. Moses confronted Pharaoh. Joshua led Israel across the Jordan. David faced Goliath. Peter stepped out of the boat. Paul traveled throughout the Roman world preaching the Gospel. None of these individuals accomplished their missions through human strength alone. God was working through them. But they still had to act. And sometimes their obedience was difficult.
Abraham's journey certainly was not without challenges. In this week's portion, he encounters famine, travels to Egypt, experiences family conflict, rescues Lot from captivity, and waits for the fulfillment of promises that seem humanly impossible.
God promised him descendants, yet Sarah remained unable to conceive.
God promised him land, yet he lived as a foreigner.
God promised him blessings, yet he experienced difficulties along the way.
Following God's instructions did not eliminate the challenges. It gave Abraham a purpose through them. And I believe that is an important distinction. Obedience does not guarantee an easy life. Faith does not mean everything will happen according to our preferred schedule. And doing what is right does not mean we will never suffer. But obedience places us on the path God has prepared for us. There is another part of this week's reading that I find particularly meaningful.
In Genesis 15, God makes a covenant with Abraham and tells him to look toward the heavens:
"Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them... So shall your offspring be." (Genesis 15:5)
Then Scripture tells us:
"Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)
Abraham was not declared righteous because he had already accomplished everything God promised. He believed God. But that belief did not make him stop acting. He continued walking. He continued making decisions. He continued learning. And yes, he also made mistakes. Abraham was not perfect.
In fact, this week's portion includes some of his questionable decisions, including his conduct in Egypt and the attempt to produce an heir through Hagar.
That is another important lesson.
Doing what is within our power does not mean trying to force God's promises to happen according to our own understanding. There is a difference between obedience and impatience. Between taking responsibility and trying to control everything. Between acting upon God's instructions and inventing our own shortcuts. God told Abraham to go, and Abraham needed to go. But God did not tell him to solve every problem through his own ingenuity. We need wisdom to recognize the difference.
We must do what God has placed within our responsibility while trusting Him with the things that are beyond our control.
That balance is essential.
And it applies to practically every area of our lives.
If you want to improve your marriage, start by becoming a better spouse.
If you want to strengthen your relationship with your children, spend time with them.
If you want to learn something new, begin studying.
If you want to overcome a destructive habit, seek help, establish accountability, and begin making different choices.
If you want to grow closer to God, spend time with Him.
If you want to help others, look for someone you can serve today.
If you have a dream that you believe God has placed in your heart, stop waiting for everything to become perfect before taking the first step.
Do what is within your power.
And trust God with what is not.
I have learned that motivation often follows action rather than preceding it. And once again, I'm finding this message aligns with my current situation. Years ago, the Lord gave me a dream where this ministry would reach many who are in need and who are lost. Yet, years after that vision I faced cancer, disease, addiction, loss, and thousands of dollars and thousands of hours investing in this dream. I'm still waiting for it to come to fruition and though I've seen the fruit of lives I've touched, the vision is far from what He showed me. Still I get up every morning with renewed hope and invest all my efforts into the vision. Not because I'm special, but because I believe the one who made the promise. I trust the one who gave me the vision.
We sometimes wait until we feel strong enough to begin. Until we feel inspired. Until we feel confident. Until the circumstances are favorable. But what if Abraham had waited until he felt completely comfortable leaving his homeland?
What if Noah had waited until he understood exactly how the Flood would happen?
What if Peter had waited until the water felt solid beneath his feet?
Sometimes faith requires us to begin before we feel ready. And perhaps that is exactly where God's strength becomes most evident. Paul wrote:
"I can do all this through Him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)
Notice that Paul doesn't say Christ will do everything instead of him.
Christ gives him strength. Strength to endure. Strength to persevere. Strength to continue. Strength to do what needs to be done. And that is something I have been learning personally, especially during difficult seasons of my life.
There are things I cannot control. I cannot control every circumstance. I cannot control what other people do. I cannot control every challenge that comes my way. But there are things I can control. I can choose to get up. I can choose to pray. I can choose to do what is right. I can choose to ask for help. I can choose to keep trying. I can choose to take one more step. And sometimes that one step is all God is asking of me today.
Not to solve every problem. Not to accomplish everything at once. Not to know exactly how the journey will end. Just to take the next step. That is the beauty of Lech Lecha.
Go.
Move.
Act.
Trust.
Obey.
And discover what God has prepared for you along the way.
I believe God's commands are always intended for the good of those who hear, believe, and obey Him, even when the immediate experience is difficult or painful.
Abraham's obedience did not benefit only Abraham. It benefited his descendants. It benefited Israel. And through the promised Seed, Yeshua, it brought blessings to the nations.
God told Abraham:
"All peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:3)
Think about that. One man's willingness to obey God became part of a blessing that would reach the entire world. And it began with a simple command. Lech Lecha.
Go for yourself.
So this week, as we continue progressing through the Torah portions, I want to challenge you to reflect upon something.
What has God already given you the ability to do that you have been waiting for Him to do on your behalf?
Is there a decision you need to make?
A conversation you need to have?
A habit you need to change?
A responsibility you need to fulfill?
A dream you need to begin pursuing?
A relationship you need to restore?
A step of faith you have been postponing?
Maybe the answer to your prayer begins with your willingness to act.
Not because God's power is limited, but because He created us with the ability to think, choose, learn, grow, and act. He gives us the honor to participate in His redemption story. We can be the hands and feet of Jesus on earth as we bless those around us. I pray you Lech Lecha. Go for yourself by your own strenght because when God calls us to move, the greatest blessing may be waiting on the other side of our obedience. Shalom Ve'Shavuah Tov!
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." (Hebrews 11:8)
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