Do you remember the details of when you answered Jesus’s call to be His follower? The moment when you gave up your own way, picked up your cross, and decided to follow Jesus (Matt 16:24). Really think about it:
· Where were you?
· What was going on?
· Did you immediately respond?
· Have you walked away from His call?
· Did you miss that He was calling you?
· Has He had to call you multiple times?
Where, when, and how Jesus called each one of us is different, none of us share the exact same story or testimony. But we all do have one part in common and that is we chose to be delivered from our sins through our salvation in Christ Jesus and thus we are all eternally connected to Him and to one another as His Church, Body, or Family.
In today’s passage we are reminded of our brother, Abram’s call. Abram (who God would later rename, Abraham) obeyed God’s call and followed His plan. Abram was 75 years old, he picked up his entire life and relocated per God’s request. He had no idea that the Savior of the world would one day be among his offspring. Abram is proof that God’s ways are not our ways because His ways are so much higher and far beyond what we can even begin to image or put in place for ourselves (Isaiah 55:8-9). Each time Abram moves we read that he built an altar and dedicated it to the Lord. His faith was active, an example to you and me, that our faith must be active, while we are being obedient to God’s call. As a result of Abram’s active and obedient faith God blessed him, his family, and all who are connected to his lineage, and that my friends includes you and me as brothers and sisters of the Most High, Jesus Christ.
Genesis 12:1-9 (NLT)
The Call of Abram
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.
7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshipped the Lord. 9 Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for allowing Abraham to be an example of obedient and active faith for me. I want my faith to keep growing so that I can be closer in relationship with You. Help me, Holy Spirit, to be fully dependent and trusting in Your guidance for my daily life. I want to connect more with You and less and less with this world. I want others to see my faith and be drawn to Your love, Jesus. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.