When we go on a trip, we make sure that we have our documents, money, reservations, and anything else we might need. We know where we are going and how long we will be there.
God asked Abraham to leave his homeland, people, culture, and sense of security. He was to trust God in all things; he would not know his destination or anything else of God's plan. In exchange, God promised to give him and his descendants land of their own. Not only that, Abraham's descendants would be countless in number, and all the people of the earth would be blessed through him. He believed this unknown God and put his life in God's hands. Because of this, he is called our father in faith.
St Paul used his example to illustrate the faith and trust of all who call themselves followers of Jesus. It is hard to trust sometimes, especially when things seem to go wrong. That is when we are called to true faith. God will never let us down.
It is easy to spot the faults of others, and some people make a career out of it! But as the old saying goes, 'If you spot it, you've got it!' In other words, we easily spot in others the faults of which we, too, are guilty. Jesus tells us not to judge others - not because it's not nice, but because we are in no position to do so - we have to tend to our own faults first! The next time we are tempted to judge another, use it as an opportunity to look within ourselves. We will learn a lot!
Lord, help me to have faith and trust.