Go Forth…

As part of a series reflecting on some of my own experiences I preached this past Sunday about sensing a call to ordained ministry. That sermon can be found here.

One of the Scriptures referenced in the sermon was Genesis 12:1 “Now the Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you”. Consider the following things about Abram’s calling …

Abram left a lot behind. In the kind of patriarchal world in which Abram dwelt leaving the house of your relatives and your father was a radical move. The extended family was his entire support network. Family ties were not the sort of thing you messed with! It is hard to leave that which we love and have grown accustomed to. Yet such is the journey of faith Jesus calls each of us to make. Declaring Him as ‘Lord’ pushes all other relationships (even our closest ones) into the shade.

Abram didn’t have a destination. Some where “I will show you” is not a physical address. He heard God’s call and followed not knowing where the journey would actually take him. The only assurance he has is that because God is leading him, it would turn out to be somewhere good. God never seems to show us the whole map of our lives at one time. All we hear is ‘Follow”.

Abram was obedient. He followed. He sensed God’s call. He, no doubt, had a head full of questions. But he put all of that behind him and moved forward into God’s promises. Our journey of faith is a one step at a time process. We don’t know where it will take us. We don’t need to know. Our motivation can simply be that we know that our God is with us!

Prayer: Lord, You call us to ‘Go forward’. Yet so often we cling to what we know rather than taking those risky steps of faith. Remind us that wherever it is we are called to go, we have the promise that You go with us. We don’t need all the details. What we need is Your love. Amen.