I had my degree, and was totally ready to finally teach professionally full-time and make a full-time salary! ⁣

But transferring my teaching license to a new state, waiting for background check results, and applying for jobs in the middle of a school year were leading me to getting a total of ZERO job offers those first few months. ⁣

I immediately started applying for substitute teaching jobs while I waited, and roadblock after roadblock kept popping up with delayed trainings and orientations and fingerprint cards. ⁣

My plan of supporting my husband and myself financially while he was in school was starting to fail, and our savings account slowly dipped lower and lower. ⁣

This was one time in my life where I really felt the concept that faith = action. ⁣

I knew that God would provide for us and that things would work out, but it was also really difficult sitting there without any income for a while, with many factors outside of my control.⁣

I kept moving forward on every path I could find, and each time I would hit a roadblock, I’d think of another path and go that way. ⁣

And overall, there was this pervasive peace, this faith that I knew everything would work out okay. ⁣

When Abraham led his beloved son Isaac up to the mountain with all the supplies to make a burnt offering, except the lamb itself, Isaac started to wonder. ⁣

Where is the sacrifice? What were they going to do?⁣

His father Abraham so wisely testified: “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering”. (Genesis 22:8)⁣

Abraham had pure faith that God would provide that offering, no matter what that looked like. ⁣

But I love that Abraham was also teaching Isaac of what was going to come in the future: ⁣

God would eventually provide a sacrificial lamb for all of mankind.⁣

God has always provided for us. ⁣

When we really believe that God will provide, what can that give us the faith to do?⁣

“The Savior is never closer to you than when you are facing or climbing a mountain with faith.” – Russell M. Nelson

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post God will provide  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I used to picture the Abrahamic covenant as some promise God made with Abraham a long long time ago.

And that’s it.

I know I’ve been told to study it and learn about it, but in my mind it was only to learn about history.

Here’s the cool realization I made, though!

Abraham’s covenant is not about him.

Yes, he’s the one being blessed, but what is the blessing all about?

Let’s see what we learn in Genesis 26:3-4, which is where the Abrahamic covenant is being extended now to his son, Isaac:

“I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries… And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”

This blessing is about YOU! It is about ME!

We are the ones being blessed, across countries, and without number.

When we live a righteous and faith-filled life, we are being part of this covenant and we are being blessed.

And then we, in turn, become the ones who reach out and bless other people’s lives as we emulate Christ and share what we know.

This isn’t just a history lesson; we are the ones fulfilling the covenant!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post We are the blessing first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I had my degree, and was totally ready to finally teach professionally full-time and make a full-time salary!

But transferring my teaching license to a new state, waiting for background check results, and applying for jobs in the middle of a school year were leading me to getting a total of ZERO job offers those first few months.

I immediately started applying for substitute teaching jobs while I waited, and roadblock after roadblock kept popping up with delayed trainings and orientations and fingerprint cards.

My plan of supporting my husband and myself financially while he was in school was starting to fail, and our savings account slowly dipped lower and lower.

This was one time in my life where I really felt the concept that faith = action.

I knew that God would provide for us and that things would work out, but it was also really difficult sitting there without any income for a while, with many factors outside of my control.

I kept moving forward on every path I could find, and each time I would hit a roadblock, I’d think of another path and go that way.

And overall, there was this pervasive peace, this faith that I knew everything would work out okay.

When Abraham led his beloved son Isaac up to the mountain with all the supplies to make a burnt offering, except the lamb itself, Isaac started to wonder.

Where is the sacrifice? What were they going to do?

His father Abraham so wisely testified: “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering”. (Genesis 22:8)

Abraham had pure faith that God would provide that offering, no matter what that looked like.

But I love that Abraham was also teaching Isaac of what was going to come in the future:

God would eventually provide a sacrificial lamb for all of mankind.

God has always provided for us.

When we really believe that God will provide, what can that give us the faith to do?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post God will provide first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.