Today’s Scripture: Genesis 12:1-6
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.
Today’s Devotional
As we have seen, we can still learn a lot from Genesis even though it was written by an ancient people at an ancient time. One of the passages that God has used to speak to me through the years has been this one from Genesis 12. I wonder if that’s because I have lived in seven different states in my life? (Yes, many of you have that number beat!) There is something comforting in knowing that God told Abram to leave the country he was in and go to a new place – a place where God will bless. I’ve had to rely on that promise many times.
I think this past year has shown us that maybe this passage does not apply only to geographic relocation. One could say that we have been called by God into a new land. First, “Pandemic Land” and now “Post-pandemic Land”. We may not be in a different physical place – but we are certainly in a different place.
I don’t think God sent the pandemic in order to get us into a new place. But I do think that we learn some principles about change from Abram. We learn that while the new place might seem scary – God can still bless. We learn that in the new place we might feel alone – but God is always present. We learn that we all make mistakes moving into the new place (read the rest of chapter 12!) – but God’s promises remain. We learn that the new place has a different look and a different feel but that our God is the same no matter where we are.
As we prepare for the next part of our move – from IN Pandemic to POST Pandemic – we need to remember these lessons, take a deep breath, and move forward with courage and faith and hope. God was with Abram when he was called away from home. God is with us as we are called into what’s new and what’s next.
Today’s Prayer
God thank you for your promises to Abram. As we move, in our own way, from a country we know to a country we do not, be with us and guide us. Give us strength and courage to embrace what you might be doing in our lives.
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