Genesis 17:22 – 18:8
When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised. All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant. Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant.”
They said, “Very well, do as you have said.”
Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.” Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it. He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
Here we read about two things. One is the record regarding the circumcision of Abraham’s household, and the visitation of God by the appearance of three men. There is something similar about both things that is good to notice. In both cases, Abraham acted immediately. He immediately did what God wanted by circumcising his household. He didn’t wait for another day or even until the next morning. When God appeared to him, He immediately did everything He could to accommodate Him.
The reason I bring this up is not to provide a moral lesson about how we should always strive to obey God right away, but that this is the kind of thing that a person who really believes what God says would do. When we know what God wants and know that He has our best interest in mind, we take his commands and do them right away, not out of duty, but out of joy for what God has done for us. God has given Christians every conceivable gift there is. We are children of God Himself. May God help us to grasp this. When we do, we will find that we have the right attitude to do what God wants us to do. Then we can do it by his power. First comes faith, then comes strength.