Genesis 12:1 “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:”
We serve such a dynamic God! He does not stand still. The scripture in Malachi 3:6 states “For I am the LORD, I change not; … ” One part of God’s nature that does not change is the fact that God is a God of movement. He created rivers to flow, winds to blow and made the entire Earth to rotate around its axis and to revolve around the sun.
So, it really should not seem out of character for God to command Abram to move. And yet at 75 years of age who among us would want to leave the comfort and convenience of surroundings in which we have become accustomed? Yet this is what God required of Abram and Abram responded with obedience. (Genesis 12:4 “So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, …”)
I wonder do we sometimes miss the blessings that God has prepared for us because we refuse to move from the place where He used to be? No doubt that Abram’s obedience to God meant communicating with his wife Sarai, getting up early, gathering his many animals and belongings, and coordinating the move with his servants. This says nothing of the emotional tug of leaving safety and certainty that he had enjoyed.
Yet, God’s favor upon Abram and Sarai was no longer in Haran. God needed him to move. Even without God supplying Abram a map, a destination, coordinates or a compass, Abram knew he wanted to be in the place ONLY that God blessed.
In examining Abram’s preparation to move, we should note that his ultimate move outside the city limits of Haran were all supported by several little moves. It was a little move to bring pots and pans to the donkeys to be carried. It was a little move to get his flock of sheep gathered. It was a little move to hug his kinfolk before he departed. Yet, he could not move en masse until these smaller steps had first been completed.
Now behold 2023. I am not sure if we will be called by God to do something as dramatic as Abram was called to do. What I do know is that God is consistently calling for us to move closer to Him. The moves may be small or the moves may be large.
Whatever the case, lets heed His voice in 2023 so that whatever the call requires, we don’t miss God’s move!
Andrae P. Crismon Sr. is the pastor of Higher Ground Worship Center in Murfreesboro. He is the author of “Lord, Keep My Mind Clean: Teen Edition”. You can find out more about him at andraecrismon.org
