And Abraham took Ishmael his son and all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among [those] of Abraham’s house, and circumcised [them] the very same day, as God had said to him. – Genesis 17:23, Amplified Bible

Not long ago I read the autobiography of the late Andrew Carnegie, one of the most successful businessmen to ever walk the planet. I learned many lessons from Mr. Carnegie’s life, but none sticks with me more than his propensity for swift action. Time after time, he encountered a business opportunity that unexpectedly crossed his path. As soon as he recognized the potential of the opportunity, he pounced on it without delay. “It is a great mistake not to seize the opportunity,” Carnegie wrote, and he did not make this mistake often. (Excerpt From: Carnegie, Andrew. “Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie.” iBooks.)

I do not believe Mr. Carnegie was a saved man, but I believe his habit for swift action is a character trait that every child of God would do well to acquire. God Himself rewards such swift action, particularly when it is in direct obedience to His instructions.

Abraham was such a man of obedient action. In Genesis 17, for example, God established His covenant with Abraham and commanded that, as part of the covenant, Abraham circumcise himself and all of the males of his household. The Bible reports that Abraham obeyed God’s command, not next week nor next month nor next year, but the very same day (verse 23). In Genesis 21, God instructed Abraham to send away forever his firstborn son, Ishmael, and his mother, Hagar. Despite the pain this caused Abraham, he rose early the next morning and obeyed the Lord without delay (verse 14). In Genesis 22, God gave Abraham another order, this time to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering. In defiance of the dread such a command must have created in him, Abraham rose early the next morning and obeyed, once again, without delay (verse 3).

Abraham regularly and immediately obeyed the Lord’s instructions. For his consistent and swift obedience, God made Abraham a promise of great blessing. Not only would Abraham’s own children be blessed of God, but the entire world would be blessed through the Messiah that his lineage would one day produce. Why did God bestow such blessings to and through Abraham? He did so for one reason: because Abraham obeyed God’s voice. (Genesis 22:18)

There is a children’s song titled “Obedience.” Within that song is the line, “Obedience is the very best thing to show that you believe.” Obedience is indeed the evidence of our belief, and when we demonstrate our obedience (and faith) to God as Abraham did, we can expect to receive blessings from God, just as Abraham did.