Now Yahweh had said to Abram, ‘Get out of your country, from your kindred, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. And I will make a great nation of you, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you will be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you. In you, all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ So Abram departed as Yahweh had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (Genesis 12:1-4)
Abraham didn’t hesitate to open his arms to God, but immediately stepped out in faith to embrace His blessing. God wants to do the same for you; that is, He wants to bless you beyond measure. But before you can receive God’s blessing, you must do what He says, believing that He knows what’s best, and will satisfy your needs (see Philippians 4:19).
People tend to ask too many questions before following God, leaving little room to acknowledge the miraculous. They want details first, which appeal to their taste. If they don’t like what they hear, they assume it isn’t God’s will. That’s not faith. Faith isn’t a comfortable place, but an expression of obedience to God. A person can’t reap the full measure of God’s blessing without this understanding.
I’m intrigued by the fact that Abraham was 75 years old when God called Him out of his homeland. Surely, he must have been settled. Most people would probably use every excuse they could to avoid such a scenario, not wanting to give up their comfort. Nevertheless, for Abraham, life wasn’t about basking in worldly pleasures, but about remaining loyal to God. It was essential to him to obey God’s voice—to be wherever God wanted him. Abraham esteemed God’s will as more valuable than any earthly possession. Do you value God’s will as much?
Incidentally, Abraham didn’t just step out in faith to receive a blessing, but to become a blessing, for God assured him that all the nations would be blessed because of him. People often ignore opportunities to be a blessing to others because they don’t want to share their resources; they don’t want to give up some of that comfort. How selfish! God doesn’t give us blessings for our own use, but for the purpose of enabling us to be in a position to help the needy.
Is God calling you to come out of something? Don’t resist His will, but act in obedience to His voice. Staying where you are isn’t going to make life better; it’s only going to keep you from receiving the happiness God wants to usher into your life. Don’t throw God’s blessing away. Follow Abraham’s example of faith instead; be blessed and be a blessing.
Post by Chris Esty
+Chris Esty is an Inspirational Writer, Photographer, and the Founder of The Bible Post ministry. Listen to his testimony Here