Genesis 12:1-6: a reflection

1Now the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. 2I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who treats you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” 4So Abram went, as the LORD had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan. They entered into the land of Canaan. 6Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time, Canaanites were in the land.

God calls Abram with a command and a promise. The command is to leave: Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. The promise is great: I will make of you a great nation, and bless you, and through you all the families of the earth will be blessed. And notice what Abram is asked to do: to go to a land God will show him, a destination not yet named, trusting God to lead him there. And Abram went, as the LORD had told him.

Notice the nature of Abram's obedience: he went without knowing where he was going. God did not tell him the destination in advance; he said, go to the land that I will show you, and asked Abram to set out in trust, to leave the familiar and follow, before he could see where he would end up. Abram's faith was shown not in understanding the whole plan, but in going at God's word into an unknown he could not yet see.

That is the nature of the obedience of faith. God often calls us to step out before we can see where he is leading, to leave what is familiar and follow him into an unknown future, trusting his promise rather than a clear map of the road ahead. We would prefer to see the whole way before we set out; but faith goes at God's word, trusting him to show the way as we go. When God calls you to follow him into something you cannot yet see, do not refuse to move until the whole path is clear. Go, as Abram went, trusting the God who calls, even when you do not know where he is leading. The obedience of faith steps out at God's word into the unknown, trusting the God who leads to show the way.

Lord, you called Abram to leave his country and his father's house and go to a land you would show him, a destination not yet named; and Abram went, as you told him, trusting you to lead him. Give me that obedience of faith. You often call me to step out before I can see where you are leading, to leave what is familiar and follow you into an unknown future, trusting your promise rather than a clear map of the road ahead. I would prefer to see the whole way before I set out; but faith goes at your word, trusting you to show the way as I go. When you call me to follow you into something I cannot yet see, keep me from refusing to move until the whole path is clear. Help me go, as Abram went, trusting you who call, even when I do not know where you are leading. Help me step out at your word into the unknown, trusting you, who lead, to show me the way. I will follow where you lead.