⁹ By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise …

Static is not an adjective used of faith. Rather, biblical faith is dynamic and living. Abraham’s commendation was not just for a monumental initial step of faith in walking away from his homeland to start a journey to places unknown. His faith was a way of life that continued even as he arrived and began to live in the land that God showed him.

In some regards, Abraham’s arrival in the land of Canaan was somewhat anti-climatic. Upon arrival, the first thing he did was to construct an altar to God on a mountain near Bethel (Gen 12:8). The land was teaming with nations already residing there and Abraham spent his days somewhat nomadically, living in tents during his entire time there, or as our text today says, as an alien in a foreign land. He certainly did not experience an established homestead with land and boundaries. Neither did his son Isaac nor grandson Jacob.

Yet, God continued to reassure him by repeating the promises of Genesis 12:7 (see Gen 13:15; 15:18; 17:8). It was as good as his already, but he would not fully possess any of it, in the sense of ownership. The land, however, would belong to his descendants who would fully possess it.

To be sure Abraham had his share of faith-successes, but also his faith-failures. Shortly after arriving in the land, his faith wavered during a famine, and he fled to Egypt. Did not God’s promises include provision for him and his family to survive in the land to which He had brought him? Therefore, we conclude that while Abraham’s faith was great, it was not altogether without any wavering, at least early on.

For many people, what faith they have wanes over time when the object of the faith extends longer than their patience. The irony is that once we have the promise in hand, or the thing that we have held faith for, then we no longer need faith. The greatest faith is that for which there is no tangible evidence of fulfillment at all. It would have been so easy for Abraham to reinterpret God’s promise to mean he would safely arrive in the land, that the blessings would entail simply being able live off the land in a nomadic experience, and that he would become just one of many nations. Such faith dilutes the blessings of God. How often we cut short God’s provision by settling for something less, something more tangible to satisfy our minimalistic faith in a God who owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10)!

Lord, I believe You have in store for me far beyond what I could ask or imagine. Help me not settle for anything less than the full blessing You desire for me.