“I will bless you and make you a Blessing” 
This is one verse which has captivated my heart. Yahweh Almighty has given this verse to Abraham as a promise when he wanted to follow the voice of Yahweh. Abraham did not argue with Yahweh as to why "he" was the only person who had to come out of his kindred.

He just heard the voice of Yahweh and started his journey. Ur of the Chaldees was located in what we call Iraq today. It was in the southeast corner of Iraq, some 75 miles north of the Kuwaiti border. The city of Ur was an important center for astrology and for the worship of the stars and the moon. It was also a very prosperous place. It was from such a place that Abraham started his journey with faith in Yahweh.. Abraham knew that Yahweh would take care of him and he believed in what Yahweh said. Abraham was not only responsible about himself but also his wife, Sarah and nephew, Lot; whom he took along with him. He was not selfish about the blessing of Yahweh, he wanted to share his blessings with his family and nephew. We can see many characteristics of Abraham. We need to follow Yahweh blindly because every thing what He does is a perfect fit in our lives. When Yahweh works things in our lives, we will get the best. (As it is said in the Bible; When Yahweh blesses, He will add no sorrow to it. Prov.10:22). It is our own decision to submit and surrender ourselves to Yahweh as Abraham did! We need to be humble before Yahweh as He will Exalt us in due course of time (I Peter 5:16) as this is the first secret of getting blessings from Yahweh.

Abraham was a rich man, he did not sit when Yahweh told him to start his journey and bless him. He moved with Yahweh and also was trusting with all his heart to receive the blessings from Almighty. He was also called as the Father of Faith. He walked taking all his wealth and possessions towards the Land of Canaan.

Coming to Gen.12: 3 Yahweh emphasizes again that He will BLESS Abraham, and also added a choice for him to decide whether he (Abraham) could either bless a person or curse a person and whatever he (Abraham) does; Yahweh will fulfill that in a person's life... Abraham possessed the land of Canaan and Yahweh spoke to him and told that HE will give this land to his seed. Indeed Yahweh did keep up his promise, when Joseph was ruling in Egypt, his family started living there and was not aware of the Blessing of Yahweh which He gave to Abraham. In those troubled times Yahweh sent forth Moses to get the children of Abraham back to the land of Canaan. Yahweh's promises are always "Yes and Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20). He was there when the foundation of Earth was created and when you were born. He knows the future of each and every person, but even then he has given choice to us as to which way we should follow (Deut 30:19). Wide is the way which leads to hell and narrow is the path  which leads to Messiah... follow what is right and Yahweh will bless us abundantly as He wants all his children to be rich ; because He is rich !! (Matt 6 :10 )

As we live this life of faith in this world, there will be times when we cannot see the way. There will be days when we too will wonder how Yahweh could do  such thing people like us! There will be times when we will have to walk by faith and not sight. Some people just can't do that! If they can not explain it or understand it, then they avoid it. Such people will never grow.  The people He uses greatly are those who walk obediently wherever He leads them. Those are the people who will see the Lord part the seas. They see the multitudes fed. They walk on water. They walk unharmed through the fiery furnaces and lion dens. They live life by faith and they get to see the Lord do the impossible over and over again.
Are you willing to take that first step of faith? The first step of faith for salvation? Of  total surrender? Have you made the step of faith that will take you to where Yahweh operates and uses people like us for His glory? Let us cut our ties with this world and cast ourselves on Him by faith!
(Submitted by Angelina Raj) 

The faith of Abel: By faith he "offered to Yahweh a more excellent sacrifice than Cain (Heb.11:4) Cain's offering was "of the fruit of the ground", of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. The Lord "respected" Abel's offering, but not Cain’s. Why did Yahweh respect Abel's offering, but not Cain's? It may be Cain offered "left-overs", while Abel offered his best (the firstborn). Cain's attitude may have been wrong; he certainly showed himself prone to display envy and hatred, capable of murder! Perhaps most likely, Abel offered his with "faith" while Cain did not. Through faith Abel "obtained witness that he was righteous" – (Heb. 11:4.) God certainly testified of his righteousness in showing respect to his offering. Messiah also bore witness to the righteousness of Abel.

The faith which leads "to the saving of the soul" is one that includes a strong conviction that God exists and a strong confidence that He will reward those who diligently seek Him.

Without faith it is impossible to please him - Heb 11:6. Without “confidence” in Yahweh - in his truth, his wisdom, his promises. This is as true in other things as in religion. It is impossible for a child to please his father unless he has confidence in him. It is impossible for a wife to please her husband, or a husband a wife, unless they have confidence in each other. If there is distrust and jealousy on either side, there is disunity and misery. The same thing is true of Yahweh. He will not be pleased with the man who has no confidence in him; who doubts the truth of his promises; who does not believe that his ways are right.  
For he that cometh to Yahweh as a worshipper must believe that he exists. This is the first thing required in worship. We cannot come to him if we doubt his existence. We do not see him, but we must believe that he is; we cannot form in our mind a correct image of Yahweh, but this should not prevent us from believing that he exists.
And that he rewards those who seek him - This is equally necessary as the belief that he exists. If we could not believe that Yahweh would hear and answer our prayers, there could be no encouragement to call upon him.