12 Now the Lord said to Abram (Abraham), “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot (his nephew) went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. Genesis 12:1-4 (ESV)
The call of Abram, later given the name Abraham, was God’s first step in restoring His relationship with people, a relationship that had been broken by sin. As evidenced by Cain rising up and murdering his brother, Abel, man’s nature has always had a bent towards sin. People are independent thinkers, and often times, we prefer to walk in our own rebellious ways rather than to honor God’s.
Many of us today have lived our lives far away from God. Some of us were once close to Him and later turned away, while others of us have never given God much of a thought at all.
Like Abraham, God has called each one of us from wherever we are to begin to or return to following Him. The loving and holy God wants to be involved in our daily lives, to experience us and to bless us, His creations.
God called Abram out of his comfort zone in the city Ur (in Iraq), through Haran (in Turkey), and into a new land, Israel. He did this to begin a new type of relationship with people based upon faith. The Lord is reaching out to each one of us, seeking those who are willing to believe in and walk with Him.
Some today believe that God chooses to be far away, distant and aloof, and is not at all interested in participating in our daily lives. God’s interactions with Abraham and with all his descendants throughout the genealogy of Jesus Christ prove that this is not the case at all. God loves us and wants to be an intimate part of our daily experiences. He also wants to use us for His good will, to be His “hands and feet”, reaching out to help others to experience the blessings of God.
Consider what the Lord said to Moses, a spiritual leader who came along years after Abraham:
7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Exodus 3:7-8 ESV
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” Exodus 4:12 ESV
God was with Moses, just as He was with Abraham, and is now with us. He cares deeply about each one of us, and also for those around us that He might reach through us.
Abraham was seventy-five years old when God called him to begin a new life in a different land. At that age, he might not have been thrilled about picking up and moving to a new and unknown territory. But when God reaches out to touch us, His presence provides us with the energy we need.
God warned Abraham that in answering the call, he was going to be a sojourner in a new land, a land currently occupied by others. But God also promised him some incredible things: 1) he would become a great nation, and 2) through his descendants, all the families on the earth would be blessed. This would ultimately be accomplished through his lineage, which culminated in the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, who would bring salvation and the Kingdom of God to all believers on earth.
The Holy Spirit is now moving throughout the earth, bringing a blessing to all who would respond to His call. As God had promised Abraham – through him, all the nations on the earth will indeed be blessed.
Reflection
I have a friend who uses “divine inconveniences” to describe the times when God nudges us to do something while we are busy or focused on doing something else. Can you recall a time this happened to you? Where did it lead?
God’s call to Abram led to a major life change for him and his wife, Sarah. How are you with change? What change is God calling you to make today?
Lord, thank You for reaching out to me. Please help me to respond positively to Your call today. We ask for Your blessings in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Meditations from the Genealogy of Jesus 