Did you ever stop and think that father Abraham would be jealous of you? A man of almost unparalleled faith in the midst of some of the most bitter struggles imaginable, is in awe about what you have been given to know that he hadn’t. Now it would be easy to be jealous of Abraham precisely because of the great faith and devotion he showed in the midst of his harrowing trials. And most certainly we pray for such faith. But we are blessed to live in the fulfillment of all the promises God made to Abraham. We know the Savior and the salvation that Abraham was longing for. We know the Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary who suffered, died, and rose again for the forgiveness of our sin. We have the testimony of the apostles who walked with our Lord and who were first-hand witnesses of all that Jesus said and did. We have the Holy Scriptures whereby we are made wise unto salvation. We have Baptism and the Keys and Holy Communion that bear with them forgiveness, life, and salvation. Abraham longed to see the days of these things because He longed for the fulfillment of God’s promises. He didn’t want rams caught by their horns in the thickets. He wanted the Lamb of God, hung on Calvary’s cross. We have them. So let us rejoice with Abraham and make use of these precious gifts for the strengthening of our faith. I look forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day.
Pastor Ulmer