Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Genesis 17:23, 26

23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

When the Lord said that every male in Abraham’s house needed to be circumcised to become a part of the covenant, Abraham did not hesitate to follow. Notice that verses 23 and 26 both stress that Abraham followed through on these instructions in the selfsame day.

There have been times where I have received spiritual guidance and decided to “get to work on that…soon.” Which of course meant not doing anything to follow it right away, just sort of letting it stew around in the back of my mind until I forgot about it and never followed through. And it wasn’t that I meant to disobey, but I wasn’t prioritizing it, which proved to be a very slippery slope.

Procrastination is often the first step towards disobedience, and promptness the first towards faithfulness.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Influence and Persuasion- 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

COMMENTARY

The Lord is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance
I have concluded reviewing both Satan’s and God’s methods for winning souls over to their sides. Where Satan employs fear and coercion, God shows immense patience and mercy. Where Satan threatens those that do not conform, God waits for us to come to Him by our own volition, and forgives all of our earlier rebellion when we do.
If one thing is clear from this, it is that God is playing the long game. He sows love and care in our hearts over the years, increasing the desire in us to choose Him. Satan, on the other hand, seems driven by haste, requiring immediate results from us.
And indeed, the times that I am at my worst as a parent are when I feel constrained by a need for certain behavior right now. I am at best as a parent when I am playing the long game, simply nurturing love in my children until they choose to follow my example on their own.