“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.’ “ Gen 12:1, NASB
This is where my mind was today when I woke up. I leave in a couple of hours with a team traveling to NY to work with a church planting partner. It is an exciting adventure and for several on the team…is a “first mission trip” experience. Whether it is the first of the fiftieth, this coming week is significant for several reasons, not the least of which is because WHERE you do what the Lord tells you to do is as important as WHAT you do.
Many look at the call the “missions” as a strange consideration. “Why go somewhere else when there is such great need around us?” The reason is…because obedience includes location. If you look at this command to Abram, God gave him very little info: GO…go from, go from, go from…TO a land which I WILL SHOW you. Abram knew more about where and what he was leaving behind than about where he was headed to. He was told to leave the familiar. He was told to leave his security. He was told to leave what was comfortable. Where he was going was undetermined. In fact…the only thing Abram knew about his future endeavor…was that God was mindful of him, present with him, and fully versed on what the future held.
If Abram had stayed in his land and preached powerfully, met the needs of all the people around him, started 1000 soup kitchens, cured disease, and funded 1 million charities…he would still have been disobedient to God. Why? Because OBEDIENCE includes location.
God places us in situations where our only security is Him. He alone is our hope and strength and support. If we rely on anything else…we are in some regard…engaged in a form of idolatry. But…after all…why would we place any trust in anything else since God is greater? WHy hope in less than His awesome love, grace, and purpose.
Go FROM and TO a land I (have yet to show you up to this point but I know perfectly says the Lord and) will show you.
Shalom, CA.
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