January 9th, 2023 - Adventure Awaits

PAUSE
Today is a new ministry year and this is the beginning of an incredible journey with the Lord. Over the next five weeks we are asking the Lord to meet with us, individually and corporately, as we seek after him. So as we open up the scriptures this morning, let’s spend some time inviting the Lord to meet us. 

Slow down. Take several deep breaths. Calm your mind and your heart. Maybe close your eyes. Take another deep breath. 

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit we ask you to come. Lord come and meet with us here today. 

If there is something heavy on your mind or heart, lay it at the Lord’s feet today.

REFLECT
Today we open the scriptures to Genesis 12, which says:

1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. - Genesis 12:1-4

Genesis 12:1-4 is a powerful and transformative passage that speaks to the call of God on our lives and His faithfulness to bless and guide us. In these verses, we see God speaking to Abram (later called Abraham) and calling him to leave his home and go to a land that God will show him. 

This call from God to Abram is a significant moment in the story of salvation and the history of God's people. It marks the beginning of God's covenant with Abraham, through which He promises to bless him and his descendants and to make them a great nation. This covenant would eventually lead to the birth of Jesus, the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

But what does this passage mean for us today? How can we apply the lessons of God's call to Abram to our own lives and our own journey with God?

One of the most striking aspects of this passage is the way in which God calls Abram to leave his familiar surroundings and go to a new place. However, this invitation from the Lord doesn’t come with detailed instructions. Abram isn’t told where the Lord is leading him. There is no map given. The only instruction that Abram receives is to “go.” The Lord doesn’t give Abram the details, because he is instead trying to teach Abram to trust him. God’s invitation must have been scary, because there was so much uncertainty; however, as Abram obediently responded to God’s invitation and embarked on an incredible adventure with the Lord. 

In a similar way the Lord often calls his followers to leave the comforts of their lives and to walk into the unknown. God will not give us all the details, or show us the end result, but instead will ask us to take a step in his direction. When we move towards him, and follow his voice, we not only get to begin an incredible journey with him but we also get to experience his presence; and as Henrietta C. Mears said, “A man who walks with God always gets to his destination.”

So today, what is the Lord saying to you and what are you going to do about it?

ASK
Spend some time asking the Lord what his invitation for you today might be? Is he calling you to begin your relationship with him as you trust him for your salvation for the first time? Is he inviting you to begin practicing a certain spiritual discipline? Is he calling you to dive deeper into biblical community?

What is the Lord’s invitation for you?

YIELD
Once you have spent a moment thinking about the Lord’s invitation, spend some time thinking through what needs to happen for you to follow the Lord’s invitation. 

Pray: Jesus, thank you that you desire to have a relationship with me and that you are always calling me deeper into my relationship with you. Help me to not be distracted by the craziness of life that I miss your voice. Help me to not become so busy with trivial things that I miss doing what you have called me to do.