Abraham. For a long time, the early part of his journey with God was something I’d cling to every single time it was time for us to move. Again. (Let’s be honest here… moving every 18 months wears on you. There at the end, unpacking became a “why bother” kind of thing. “Who cares where the coffee cups go? They won’t be there for long!”) I’m excited to get to Abraham’s story this week and share another nugget, more than just the fact he had to travel. A lot. To that end, we have two versed today. (Yes, I cheated.)
Genesis 12:1, 10 (GWT)–The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your relatives, and your father’s home. Go to the land that I will show you…” There was a famine in the land. Abram went to Egypt to stay awhile because the famine was severe.
God said, “Move.”
Abram said, “Okay.” He packed everything up and took off from teh only life and family he’d ever known for a place God hadn’t even revealed to him when he started on the journey. He travels, and suddenly, in Canaan, God says, “Right here. This will be yours forever!”
I’m sure there was a sense of relief in Abram. Done! Settled! Praise God! I’m home!
And a handful of verses later… Famine so severe Abram has to pack up and go to Egypt.
Hm. Welcome to your Promised Land. Now get out. Seems a little odd, doesn’t it? I have struggled with this verse before, but I have to come to this conclusion. It’s there for us. How many times have we walked smack down the center line of God’s will only to be completely bumfuzzled by a landslide blocking the road? A detour? A sudden sheer cliff that seems to cut off the rest of the trail?
I don’t have the answers for why that happens. Sometimes it’s a test. Sometimes it’s a lesson. Sometimes life just happens because we live in a sinful world. In any case, I’m glad God set Abram in front of us as an example. Things might divert us on the road to our Promise from Him, but they won’t keep us away forever. That’s good to know, especially for those of us who have been called to write only to face rejections, roadblocks, and minimized writing time.
God’s call on your life is sure. When you know it, walk in it. And, know what? Maybe enjoy the detours. God’s certain to plant some roses along the way.
-JB
Dawn Lucowitz says
I chose the same verse -The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’
It’s funny though, because I always think about how I wish I could be more like Abram and be able to just pick up and go and leave everything and everyone I know if God asked me to. I think about Abram and then to the disciples when God said to “Come and follow me.” I want my faith to be that strong, yet in my brain I listen to the devil saying I would never be able to do that.
Your comments were extra powerful to me this morning when you mentioned our military life. I guess it just hadn’t really occurred to me that in a way, that’s what I am doing every few years. We pack up and leave family and friends and what we know to go to a place that we don’t know. To live in a new place with new people, often in very strange and distant lands (TN and KS were new worlds for this New Yorker). I guess I minimize how big a deal that all is because of technology. We really are never very far away from the ones we love. We also minimize it sometimes because it seems like everyone does the same thing. Well, maybe most of the people we know do the same things, but that’s because that is who we are around. When you look at the bigger picture, only a small percentage of the population actually lives like this.
I also love your point about sometimes not unpacking or caring where certain items get put. It’s a constant reminder to me that we are not of this world and that our time here is only temporary. There is no reason to get too comfortable and too settled because this is not permanent.
Thanks so much for really opening my eyes today!
Jodie says
I was about to say, “Girl, you go to crazy new lands all of the time!” And then you said it for me. (And, hon, I’m a SOUTHERNER and TN was a strange new world, at least when it comes to weather. And cicadas.) I had not thought of the thing about being here only temporarily. Hm. You ministered right back! Now I have to go and think on that one.