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Time is such an important factor to us mere human beings. We look on the passage of time as being so very significant. It is important in our scheme of things. This is why we get so impatient with any delays.

If ever this was true of human attitudes it is true today. This is the "Now!" generation. The "Instant!" society. Tomorrow is never soon enough. Why should we have to wait? For anything?

The culture of the age feeds these attitudes. It encourages them. Even as it dismisses as irrelevant any other attitude or approach.

The life of faith has a totally different approach. Faith focuses on God. God inhabits eternity!

The "Now" generation claims its own reality. But it is not true reality. It is an empty fantasy.

The person of faith has discovered: God is Reality! The true Reality. The only Reality. For faith this means we automatically have a different attitude to the passage of time, learning to quietly and confidently wait. Accepting: "Be still' and know that I am God!"(Psalm 46: 10).

Abram was seventy five years old when God brought him into the land. Ten years later Sarai became impatient. They wanted a son. Hagar was offered. Ishmael was the result.

Fourteen more years pass. Years in which to "Be still!" For all those years it must have seemed to Abram and Sarai that God was: "Still!" He did not speak. He did not seem to act.

"The LORD appeared!" Again! After all the long years of silence. Years in which it could be suggested that there was no evidence that the Lord was even present. No evidence that He was active, or involved in any way.

Abram may not have seen any such outward evidence. But He knew! The Lord was present. Active. Involved. Faith held to that reality.

The Lord knew that Abram was now ready. Ready for the next vital challenge to faith. So, the Lord appeared to him. He revealed Himself to the man of faith. We are not told how He revealed Himself, and we really do not need to know how. Abram knew! He knew that it was the Lord! The Lord had come again to him.

Faith knew. Faith always knows when it is the Lord. The Lord who comes. Who reveals Himself. Who speaks. True faith always knows.

This is the first record which we have of this Name. The first occasion of God using this title in referring to Himself. He does so in coming to Abram. "El Shaddai!" "God Almighty!'' "The All-powerful God!"

Each step of the way God had revealed more of Himself. More of His personality. More of His nature. He did so to continually inspire the growing faith of His servant. To encourage him. To challenge him.

We see this approach revealed so dramatically in these developments. For Abram to participate in that revelation carried real responsibility.

“I am the Almighty God!" "Walk before me!" Let your daily walk be in the presence of the One who is: God Almighty!

God was saying, By faith let your walk be consciously in My presence! Maintain the walk of faith knowing that it is ever in fellowship with: "El Shaddai!" What a challenge! What an inspiration.

The Lord Jesus reminds every Christian of this. "All power - all authority - is given unto Me in heaven and in earth"(Matthew 28: 18).

That is but another way for Jesus to say to us: "I am El Shaddai!" The Lord Jesus is so rightfully identified as: "God Almighty!"

He also says to us: "Walk before me!" Let your daily walk of faith be in My personal presence. He clearly affirms this! "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28: 20).

Faith thankfully claims the reality. Rejoices in the reality. Every moment of every day is lived in His presence. "I am with you alway!"

Abram knew only too well how imperfect he was. His walk of faith had been sadly marred by his many imperfections. The fear and panic of his flight into Egypt. The weak submission of his failure involving Hagar. He knew all that and more. He needed no reminder.

Man of faith! See the context of the demand. "I am the Almighty God!" “I AM!” The All-powerful One. The All-sufficient One! By faith walk before Me. By faith live constantly in My presence. By faith claim My commitment to you. Claim My resources.

Faith acknowledges the truth. In myself: I am imperfect. With "El Shaddai!" - all things are possible! Even: "Be perfect!''

“Be thou perfect!” The Lord Jesus expects no less of is! "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5: 48).

“Be ye therefore perfect!” He requires it. He is the One who rightfully has all power. All authority. He is the One who is with us always. He is the One who inspires all that He requires, even as He enables us to attain it.

Faith walks in His presence. Draws on His resources. Claims, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4: 13)

On the basis of this relationship the Lord gave the assurance. "And I will make my covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly."

For there to be a meaningful covenant, there must he a basis for it. A place of meeting. That place where the two can effectively share. Where there is a real oneness.

This is not a matter of the superior Party imposing His will. Giving the infinitely lesser party no choice, no way to respond other than the abject futility of the slave's response. No! That is not God's way. It never was.

He invited the infinitely unworthy party to accept His gracious invitation. In grace He invites the totally undeserving to mount the heights. He invites! And in grace He makes possible the response!

He is the infinitely perfect One. He says, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father, which is in heaven is perfect!"(Matthew 5: 48).

He invites. In grace He makes it possible for faith to respond. He enables the unworthy party to enter the covenant. To do so willingly. To do so effectively. To do so in the way which genuinely honors the Lord.

"I will make my covenant between me and thee!" In these words He invited faith to grasp the privilege. He inspires faith to stand on the assurance, and in heart and in life to be one with Him in the covenant.

Is it any wonder that Abram "fell on his face"? The impact of this revelation is so great. So awe-inspiring. Abram was totally humbled. He fell prostrate before the Lord. His attitude was total devoted worship. The giving of himself in complete adoration. The inexpressible praise of the heart that is too full to speak.

Have we really allowed the Lord to bring us to that point? He will bring us there - if we let Him. He wants to. He is waiting to. This is another vital step in the true walk of faith. The reality of the close walk with the Lord.

“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of many nations.”

“As for Me!” How those words must have gripped Abram's heart! The Lord is affirming to him. "This is My position! This is where I stand on this issue!"

"As for me!" That Lord says that to us! "I have taken a definite stand!" That relates directly and personally to us! The Lord wants us to know that. To be sure of it.

"My covenant is with thee!" It "IS!" That was the statement of eternal fact! So personally and so powerfully revealed to Abram. He could know it! There was no room for doubt.

"My covenant is with thee!" That is exactly what the Lord is saying to us today. The covenant is established. It is now fully in place. It is completely operative now! It is written in the precious blood of Jesus. It will stand for eternity. We can believe that. We must live by it.

"Thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.''

A new name! The new name is the direct result of the covenant. It is the expression of the Lord's gracious commitment. It bears witness to the Lord's commendation of the walk of faith.

It is interesting to note the timing of this development. For at least twenty four years Abram had walked by faith. He had his relapses, it is true. Yet he had also claimed some decisive victories by faith. Only after those long years had passed was his name changed. Not when he first responded in faith.

We could ask, Why? The only answer that we have is, That is God's way! Why it is His way is known to Him.

He saw that the decisive moment had come. He spoke. The man of faith would be: Abraham! The fact is reality. The "why" is unimportant to us. The reality and the experience is what matters.

Two things are clear. Or they should be. The first is that God does not want to limit this reality, this experience. It is not only meant to be for the favored few. The Lord wants all His people to live out this experience daily.

The second is this, so few live up to the potential which is involved. Is it because we are not willing to pay the price? Not willing to be really committed to the life of faith? Too few today know that reality which Abraham knew.

"And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee."

God assured His servant, "I will!" He was totally committed to do it. That was absolute assurance!

That is exactly the assurance which He has given to us. His deliberate unchanging assurance. We can stand on that Word of assurance with complete confidence. It will never fail, because God will never fall. He will not go back on His Word.

The covenant which was guaranteed was personal. ''Between me and thee!" There is nothing more personal than that. God intended a total personal relationship. Nothing to come between: "Me and thee!"

He is still saying, "Me and thee!" As personal as that: for us today. By faith look into His eyes as He speaks, and see there His personal commitment of love so strongly expressed. Know that He is always irrevocably committed: to us.

"To be God unto thee!" To be God in all that God is! God in the total perfection of His love. God in all His eternal sovereign sufficiency. God in all His almighty power. "To be God unto thee!"

There is no end to the amazing reality of this. It is for us! "To be GOD unto thee!" He seeks to be GOD to us continually.

“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the Living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and 1 will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty!" (2 Corinthians 6: 16 - 18).

"And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, . . . for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

"And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.”

The Lord had already stated, "Walk before me, and be thou perfect." Now: "Thou shalt keep my covenant.”

The personal responsibility of the man of faith is revealed. The commitment to be all that the Lord required. To do all that He expected.

Again, the personal responsibility is to be seen in the context of faith. Faith is ever responding to the Lord. Acting on the basis of the promise of the Lord. Sharing the presence and involvement of the Lord. Depending on the faithfulness and the sufficiency of the Lord.

Responsibility is not to be seen in isolation. Faith claims the total picture. Yes, we are held responsible. Yet - we are held responsible by the Lord who is totally committed to us. Committed to inspire and enable as! His resources completely available to strengthen us.

The responsibility to the covenant never loses sight of: the covenant! The covenant always involves two: The Lord, and the person of faith. It always involves: all that there is of those two. All that there is of: the Lord! All that there is of: the person who walks by faith.

Faith thankfully appropriates that reality. Thus the responsibility becomes an exciting personal experience of the all-sufficient Lord.

"This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised."

The Lord required a practical expression from Abram. The practical demonstration of the commitment of faith. That was the impact of the requirement of circumcision.

Like so many other similar expressions, this fact has been obscured. The outward rite has become the issue. The symbol has replaced the reality as being of first importance.

Behind the physical is the spiritual. Faith uses the physical to witness to the spiritual. The spiritual in this case was Abraham's commitment to the covenant. That personal and continuing commitment. That is the issue which was of first importance.

When the rite, the token, becomes of central importance, that is idolatry. That is the only way to describe it.

This problem still plagues the Church. Rites and tokens, symbols, as well as standards, have been given too high a priority. A priority which the Lord never intended them to have. It is a very subtle and insidious danger.

For example, baptism is to serve the Lord's purpose. It is a symbol, witnessing to the new birth. To cleansing, and forgiveness. To the new relationship with the Lord. It is the token. It is the symbol of the inner spiritual reality. It is not the reality.

The Lord's Supper also comes within this category. Along with many other "tokens” and "symbols". They are all servants of the truth. Faith accepts them in that context. Faith keeps its focus on the truth, not on the symbols of the truth.

The Lord's requirement is inclusive. "Every man child." Everyone who desires to share in the full benefits of the covenant.

The sign was to be evidence of true commitment. Evidence to all that Abraham and his family put the covenant with the Lord first. If it was important to the Lord, it was important to the man of faith.

The Lord relates it to the covenant. The response of faith is to continue to express loving obedience.

"He that is . . . bought with money of any stranger." All who belong, whether born into the covenant, or bought into the covenant.

We have been bought into the covenant! Bought with the precious blood of Jesus. The blood of the Lamb. Slain for us as He offered Himself as a sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.

We have also be born into the covenant. Born again! Born from above. Born of God! Born of the Spirit!

Both: bought, and born! Faith responds to the truth in total devotion. Faith wants all to know, that having been both bought and born into the covenant, faith therefor chooses to totally identify with the covenant.

"An everlasting covenant!" That is what God chose to make it! He invited Abraham to claim it on the same basis.

"An everlasting Covenant!" For us! For time and for eternity! That is the Lord's commitment to us. He inspires our thankful acceptance of the reality.

This is the glory of our privilege. Freely given by God in grace. Given to us to claim in faith. "We are one with the Lord! For time! For eternity!''

"And the uncircumcised man . . . that soul shall be cut off from his people, he hath broken my covenant."

This is a very strong statement. It is fully justified. The Lord Himself is speaking. This was not Abraham's idea. It was God's Word. That fact was of crucial importance.

The person who regards God's Word as irrelevant despises God Himself. Acting as though God's requirement are a matter of personal convenience. That man's convenience takes precedence over God's requirement.

God takes a very clear stand on this. That person ''shall be cut off from his people!" Excluded. Denied any participation in the covenant.

These issues are so significant today. So many profess to serve the Lord, but it is in their own way, and according to their own ideas. They are acting out of personal convenience. The Lord Jesus still says, "I never knew you!”(Matthew 7: 23).

His Word must be taken seriously. We must act in such a way as to demonstrate His pre-eminence. Giving clear evidence for all to see that He is Lord! Lord of all! That we continually honor Him as Lord!

This is the response of true faith. Where that is lacking the Lord Himself excludes. Definitely. Deliberately. Completely.

“And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.”

Up until this point each promise had been specifically directed to Abraham. It related to what the Lord would do for him. Specifically that in the will of the Lord he would have a son.

The relationship of Abraham to Sarah had been put in serious jeopardy. on two separate occasions. On both occasions by Abraham himself. Each time Abraham's faith faltered.

The first occasion was when the famine stirred fear, so that they had taken flight into Egypt. Abraham in fear had passed Sarah off as his sister, so that she was taken into Pharaoh's harem. Only the intervention of the Lord prevented total disaster.

The second occasion involved Hagar. This was in fact Sarah's suggestion. But it involved the failure of Abraham's faith.

Now God reveals how vital to His plan this relationship is. His plan! His plan which is directly tied to His Word about the relationship of husband to wife! God's Word on this issue is unmistakably clear.

"Therefore shall a man . . . cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh!" (Genesis 2: 24).

Faith grasps the reality. They are: one! Therefore God's will for the husband is His will for the wife. God sees them as one! Not as two distinct entities

How little this vital principle is understood today. There are so many who live and act as though it is totally nonexistent. So many Christians are paying a very high price for this foolish failure to take God's Word seriously. Not only Christians. But Churches as well. Including all areas of the vital work of God.

“And I will bless her. And give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations: kings of people shall be of her."

The Lord is making a strong statement here. He intended to. Even as He was giving a glorious promise. Everything promised to Abraham was promised to Sarah!

How powerfully this emphasizes the truth as God sees it. They are: One! One in the will and plan of God. One: In the promise of God. One: in the fulfillment of the promise.

Faith sees. Faith understands. What a difference it will make today when Christians really do see this truth. When they really do understand. When they live accordingly.

''Then Abraham fell on his face, . . . and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?"

These words speak for themselves. The genuine humanity of Abraham shows through. At the age of ninety nine he is confronted with this most amazing revelation.

It is important to remind ourselves that this was his initial response. It is not the final response.

Faith was wrestling as it sought to come to terms with the Word of God. This was a very real fight for faith.

Abraham fell on his face. He was astonished at the scope of the promise. In every area it far surpassed all his expectations. It was a revelation which was full of glory.

Those who walk by faith hear and understand. They can identify with the feelings of Abraham. With the expression that he was willing to accept less than promised.

The promise is so vast. The potential is so astonishing. So infinitely great. So stupendous. It was natural that the mind looked for something more "life-like" to offer. Something the mind of man can grapple with.

Faith sees. And seeing, struggles. Finding it so difficult to grapple with the greatness of the Word of the Lord

Faith must face this fight. The promises made by the Lord to faith far surpass our expectations. We respond in hesitation. Hardly daring to believe that the infinite greatness of the promise is: to us! We would be so content with much less. We even try to suggest this to the Lord.

Yet the Lord continues to speak, so as to challenge and to encourage. To inspire faith enabling it to grasp the fullness of the promise.

God understood Abraham's response. There was no reproof. Simply the re-emphasis of the promise.

"And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him."

God continued to lead His servant. He worked with him in patient grace. God really did understand. He was completely committed to bring Abraham through to stronger, even more confident faith.

"And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation."

"But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. And He left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.”

God knew that He had achieved His goal. Abraham had heard. In faith he had received the promise of the Lord.

God knew. Abraham believed. He accepted in faith the Lord's assurance. Abraham proceeded to give faithful witness to his faith. At the age of ninety nine years he himself was circumcised. He insisted that everyone know that he took the Word of the Lord seriously.