Abraham showed that all things actually belong to God -- not to us.
This lesson may be remembered by me when Providence deems that I should lose something I value. Whether it is a car that I have sunk lots of time and money into, or a friend that I have known and loved for a long time, or a job that I have always wanted -- when these things are taken away from me I can reflect that my forefather Abraham also had things taken away from him. But Abraham's example of perseverance is a great example of how I should act.
Even after God told him that he demanded circumcision -- a sign of blood -- Abraham did not reverse his feelings toward God; instead, as though by shedding blood, he spiritually strengthened himself all the more. As William John Deane states, "It was shortly after the institution of the covenant of circumcision that Abraham had an opportunity of showing another side of his character, his hospitality to strangers, his boldness in intercessory prayer."
Abraham represents a perfect...
This devotion to God is then in turn manifested in his devotion to other men -- in, for example, his hospitality to the three strangers -- or in his petition for the city of Sodom.
In conclusion, Abraham is the just man from whom we all descended. His life and actions serve as good examples for us when we experience times of trial. He shows us to remember to trust in God and to pray to Him and to not be afraid to ask things of Him. God always has a plan and He loves and only allows us to suffer evil or be tested because He wants to be sure of our love in return. After all, with God all things are possible.
Bibliography
Deane, William John. Abraham: His Life and Times. NY: Revell, 1899.
New Revised Standard Version Bible. NY: HarperCollins, 2009.
Genesis 17:5
Genesis 18:14
William John Deane, Abraham: His Life and Times (NY: Revell, 1899), 103.
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