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; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. (Genesis 12:1-5) 

 

The Lord called Abram out. He told him to leave his country, not just his home, but his country. God told Abram to leave his family and head towards a new land. Can we begin to imagine how Abram must have felt? I wonder if his family thought he was crazy. Let’s see now–you are going to leave your home, family, country and head to a land that you have not seen yet? Abram did leave his home and country behind and went as the Lord directed him. Abram was a man of great faith. He believed in the promises of God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. 

 

In the New Testament, Jesus told his disciples a similar message when he said, “Follow Me.” To follow Jesus meant leaving everything else behind, including homes and families. Some did and some did not. The same is true today. How many of us are truly willing to forsake all for the gospel of Jesus Christ? Do we really have to go to such extremes in this day and age? In our hearts, we must answer those questions. Despite our behaviors and outward appearances, God knows our hearts. If we are willing to surrender all to Jesus, the Lord will do the rest. 

 

Think upon these verses today. Maybe God has a new land that awaits you. Without a doubt, God has blessings planned for your life, planned from before you were born. Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone? If so, this could be the step that changes your life in amazing ways. 

 

Today’s devotion blessed me. Maybe you don’t feel God is calling you to leave your country but instead calling you in a different direction outside of your comfort zone, be willing, obey, and watch what God will do through you and for you in amazing ways. I am reminded of yet another old hymn, All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live. I surrender all, I surrender all. All to Thee, my Blessed Savior, I surrender all. A simple song yet so powerful. If we would only live each and every day surrendering all to Him, we wouldn’t live in fear, worry or anxiety. You might ask, is it truly that simple, and the answer is yes. Surrender all to Him and step out in faith believing that He will catch you if you fall and He will be there every step of the way. Just obey and step out in faith believing. 

 

Have a beautiful day in The Lord! 

 

Today’s Reading is 1 Peter 5:10