Focus: Beyond Encounter

Text: Rom.4:17-21

"(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were..."

Abraham had a personal encounter with God, and it happened after God had scattered humanity at Babel by a confusion of tongues. God wanted an individual that He could start a relationship with and use to redeem and restore all of humanity to Himself. In that encounter God preached the gospel to Abraham and got him saved, and then promised him a land and a seed. The land was going to be the inheritance of the physical children of Abraham, while the seed was going to serve as a means by which Abraham would obtain spiritual children all over the earth. 

God says to him, "That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the STARS of the heaven, and as the SAND which is upon the sea shore…" (Gen.22:17). Here we find the seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand by the sea shore - the heavenly and the earthly children of Abraham. The New Testament helps us to understand that the seed, being in the singular, not in the plural, refers solely to Jesus Christ, the Messiah. 

Today, of all the nations of the earth, those who accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are counted as Abraham's children, symbolized by the stars.

That encounter changed Abraham. He had God as his preacher (Gal.3:8), and he believed and was saved, for God credited His righteousness to his faith in the infallible word of God. Abraham, an idol worshipper became a changed child of God. God covenanted to use him and bless the nations of the earth through him. God met his wife barren, and made her womb fruitful and transformed the story of her life forever. Today she is the "mother of all of us" (Gal.4:26). Paul talks of "the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all" (Rom.4:16). 

The effect of any man's supernatural encounter with God is the blessing of others. Through divine encounter with God we become vessels of honor in His hands.

People who encountered God in the Bible ended up being mightily used of God in birthing and advancing the purpose of God upon the earth. Our usefulness to God begins from the place of divine encounter. Paul could tell you a whole lot about that. He says, "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, TO REVEAL HIS SON IN ME, that I might preach him among the heathen…" (Gal.1:15,16). 

God is always the initiator of the encounter, and whenever He initiates it, the story changes for the human race through the instrumentality of the one who encounters Him.

Our text says, "(As it is written, I have MADE thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he BELIEVED, even God, who QUICKENETH the dead, and CALLETH those things which be not as though they were..." God made a promise to Abraham and ensured that it was documented for future generations - spoken and written down. It came to pass that God made Abraham a father of many nations. He moved him from the place of no child to the place of many children. So we can see that God speaks, writes, resurrects from the dead, and calls into existence things that do not exist. Divine encounter and revelation results in divine experience of the divine grace, power and greatness of God. By divine encounter we discover the invisible God and His incredible power for ourselves. 

He makes fruitful a dead womb and raises the dead back to life. He is the covenant and promise keeper. He makes promises and fulfills them. He never goes back on His promises.

O Lord, grant us fresh encounters with You and help us realize that an encounter with You is beyond personal consumption and enjoyment, but for the blessing of others and for the fulfillment of divine purpose on a larger and grander scale! We long to do Your will and be used and vessels of honor in Your hands. Amen!

We'll continue with the next verse tomorrow.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter