sealed orders and a vast venture
"Now the Lord had said to Abraham, get thee out...and he went out, not knowing whither he went." ~ Gen. 12:1-3
Today I turn twenty one. When you have a birthday, do you think on all your life up to this point? Do you think to yourself ~ right here, right now, am I following God's calling as Abraham did?
The call of God is a call into comradeship with God Himself for His own purposes.
My calling, your calling, and Abraham's calling are each individually unique, but as children of God, we all have the same instruction given by Jesus Christ ~ "follow Me."
When Abraham was told to "get thee out," he launched right out to God, only aware of two things: he had sealed orders, and God was urging Him to a vast venture.
As another year comes upon me, I see Abraham - Father of the Faithful, and see a life full of instruction from his call, his limitations, and his obedience to learn from and apply in my own life. He recklessly obeyed, leaving his 'buts' and 'supposings', and 'what will happen if I do's' {Lk.9:57} behind. He abandoned himself to God's call in unconditional surrender and smilingly washed his hands of whatever consequences came. He was a man who did not stoically resign to an unknown force, but one who committed his all to the One whose character has been revealed to us in Jesus Christ!
"Going out, and now knowing whither you go is true of either a fool or a committed soul."
Abraham went 'out' of all his own ways of looking at things and became a fool in the eyes of the world.
"In the beginning, faith is always uncertain, because every broad view is at first an uncertain view of particulars." {O.Chambers}
"I have to take care not to settle on the sandbank of selfishness, bu to leave all for the Lord to order it. If I then make shipwreck, it will be in the wide sea of God's love, the depths of which are as welcome to me as the surest haven.But nature fights against the thought of venturing forth we know not where, out of self, into unknown regions." {Tersteegen}
~Kaytra~
Happy birthday, Kaytra! :) Some very powerful thoughts for a very important time. (I think my 21st birthday occurred during our last trip to Mexico... *sigh*)
ReplyDeleteRemember always that though God may call you to strike out on your own, following Him will always bring you into fellowship with other followers. Abraham left on his own, but God surrounded him with family. The disciples received each personally the call to follow Jesus, but it was not purely a one-on-one relationship. May God bless you with rich fellowship of other believers all along the way He leads you! :)