LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Monday 9th August 2021
THE LORD WILL SHOW YOU A PLACE
Scripture Reading: Genesis 12
Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. (Genesis 12:1)
This passage introduces us to Abraham, the man whose calling, faith and obedience led the world to the One True God. At this time, he was known by his old name – Abram. Abraham was from Ur of the Chaldeans. He lived in the land of Haran and eventually settled in the land of Canaan.
God called Abraham to move from his native country, family and father’s house. His calling uprooted him from his pagan past into a new relationship with God. Noah’s flood destroyed a sinful world, but after the flood, another sinful world emerged.
Soon enough, people had forgotten about God and turned to their old ways. This sinful world is the one God called Abraham out of.
- Get out. The language of God’s command to Abraham is very strong, ‘get out’. It was an urgent call. Abraham had to leave the ungodly beliefs and practices in which he had grown up. Like Abraham, the Lord commands us to leave our sinful past behind so that He will lead us into a new life of faith in Him.
- To a land I will show you. God instructed Abraham to move from the land he could see to a land he could not see. He had to move from the known to the unknown. God did not just move Abraham from one land to another land. It was more than that. God moved Abraham from a sinful life into a righteous life. He also moved Abraham from trusting in his own resources to trusting in God’s help.
God’s calling takes us from something we know into something we don’t know. Like Abraham, each of us must also move from sin to righteousness. We must move from depending on ourselves to relying on the Lord.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am ready to follow in your will. Lead me by your Spirit into your perfect will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.