From Sunday Morning
by Josh Linton on June 07, 2015
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: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him… (Genesis 12:1–4, KJV).
Abraham (Abram) was called by God. Unlike most of us today, when God spoke, Abraham listened. Abraham believed in what he had heard from the Lord—if he walked with God, He would bless him tremendously.
Abraham was called to leave the land or Ur, which was an idolatrous nation (Joshua 24:2). The Lord called Abraham to live a life outside the bondage of idol worship—to live a new life serving a living God. Abraham was specifically chosen from an entire nation to complete a work for the Lord.
Our relationship with God didn’t begin from our own accord. God called us, just like Abraham. Scripture tells us in I Peter 2:9“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (KJV). When God calls us, we need to answer.
Abraham was obedient to heed the call of the Lord. We may wonder why God choose Abraham. Was Abraham like the rest of his family, or what he different? Was he satisfied with the idol worship and the mundane everyday occurrences, or was he looking for something supernatural? Abraham may not have known it, but he was looking for an experience with God.
Today, God is calling us out from a world of darkness. Are we looking for Him or to Him? When the Lord speaks in His still, small voice, are we taking action? If we choose to respond to the Lord, but aren’t 100% committed to Him, we may find ourselves with just a momentary experience. But, if we serve the Lord with our entire heart, mind, and soul, we’ll find more than just an experience; we’ll gain a supernatural relationship with Him.
Scripture notes that Abraham responded in faith “when he was called to go out into a place he should after receive for an inheritance…” (Hebrews 11:8, KJV—emphasis added). Abraham soon learned he wasn’t looking to God alone, but the promises that were available to Him through God. He was looking for a blessing. We cannot be so consumed by worldly things that we do not seek after our inheritance. We need to remember that our treasure is laid up in heaven!
Through Abraham’s journey, he found himself in a few different predicaments. Every so often he would lose sight of the Lord, His promises, and His blessings. The devil will try to do anything to cause a child of God to stop looking to God and start focusing on our problems. We need to remember that God will provide our every need and deliver us from every situation if we call out to Him. We should look to God to solve our problem and not find ways to amplify our issue.
Can we be like Abraham today and look to the Lord? Can we build an altar to the Lord and make a commitment to serve Him? Can we keep our eyes on Him? We can make a decision today to open our ears to hear Him, eyes to see Him, and hearts to receive Him. When we get completely focused on the Lord, we will know what we’re looking for.
