DAY 85 - BIG PICTURE IN A YEAR - THE PROMISE
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your fathers household and go....
Genesis 12:1
Reading: Genesis 13:1-18; Matthew 10: 34-39; James 2:23
Many believers say that if the Lord told them to do something they would not have any great difficulty in obeying. In our reading for today, Abram was told to leave behind all the things that were valuable to him – the safety and familiarity of Haran, the land his father had led him to; the tribal group that would have protected him against hostile forces; his father’s house and the family that would have helped him to build a future of prosperity and economic strength. The Promises of God came with a hefty price tag.
There are many things that cannot accompany you on the journey that God sends you on. There are many relationships, both good and bad, that simply have to be left behind. There are many activities, both good and bad, that have to be abandoned. We have an instinct about this and it forms one of the reasons why some people are afraid of getting too close to God. As my daughter once said, “if I get too close to God He might send me to Afghanistan”. Later on in the story, we read that God began to refer to Abram as His friend, because, when God instructed him to leave his place of safety and security, he trusted and obeyed.
What was the big prize that Abram was after – the Promises that God gave him (land, blessing, a great name..) or…to be called a friend of God? This is a good question for us to meditate on as we seek greater intimacy with the Lord. Do we want what our Heavenly Father is offering or do we want Him?
Prayer
Lord I seek friendship with you. Draw me closer and purify the motives of my heart because only you can see them.
FOR THE FAMILY
Engage
Watch
together and discuss why we are always in a safe place when we trust and obey God.