Who Will Take A Leap Of Faith?
I hate to say goodbye when it is time to move away from family, friends, and home. Saying goodbye is never easy nor is the question of whether it is better to go or stay put. Moving for me has always been a leap of faith.
Moving is easier if there are good reasons for leaving. Some of us old folks have to move on to a different lifestyle because we cannot manage anymore. When our idea of a healthy meal is a bowl of cereal, we may need someone to cook something more substantial. When pictures of the grandchildren are obscured by dust, and we would go for a walk outside, if we could find our house keys in the clutter, we may need a housekeeper.
Often, we resist moving from where we are at present because what we know seems better than an unknown future. We do not want to give up our independence or admit that we need help. When to say goodbye and leave is a tough decision to figure out.
Abram was seventy-five years old when the Lord said he was to move on. Abram was to leave his country, kin, and family roots and go to a land that the Lord would show him. The Lord had big plans for Abram, but he must take a leap of faith to be part of the future God had planned for him.
Abram must leave behind what was familiar and secure. He must trust that God would do for him as the Lord promised him. The Lord had promised him, “And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. 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.” (Genesis 12:2-3)
God said to Abram to go, so he went. He departed from his home at Haran with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, his servants, and his possessions. God led Abram to the land of Canaan. Abraham stopped at Shechem at the oak of Moreh. There the Lord appeared to Abram, promising him, “To your offspring, I will give this land.”
Abram trusted and obeyed God. Abram believed in the gracious or unconditional love of God. He put himself, his wife, his family, and his possessions in the hands of God. He trusted God when he was at Haran, and he trusted God to lead him to a new place to live. Abram was and is the father of all who rely on God’s love and blessing wherever they may be. Their security is in God, not themselves.
Abram was certain God would do right by him and his family. Abram needed no say in where God would lead him. He trusted God’s control of his life. Abram believed God when God told him, “To your offspring, I will give this land.” The fact that Abram had no offspring then did not cause Abram to doubt God. Abram trusted the love of God to use himself to become a blessing for all the peoples of the earth. He knew God was able to do what He promised.
