“Terah took his son Abram,
his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the
wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur
of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they
settled there” (Genesis 11:31, NIV).
In his message the other day our pastor
said something that more than caught my attention. It was something
he had realized from Genesis 11: 31. What he shared was something
that made me think about how we sometimes say yes to God's call,
start out to fulfill it, then quit when it gets too hard or something
else distracts us. This verse in Genesis 11:31 offers the thought
that Abram was not the first one called by the Lord to leave Ur. It
says that Abram's father, Terah, took his family and led them out of
Ur to go to Canaan. However, when Terah arrived in Harran, he stopped
his pilgrimage and settled there with his family. We don't know if
Terah was faced with some circumstance in his life or if there was
something about Harran that drew him, but he decided that he would
not go any further. God's purpose came to a halt with that decision.
God then turned to Terah's son, Abram, and said, “Go from your
country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will
show you” (Genesis 12:1, NIV). Abram heard a promise with his call.
Whether Terah heard this same promise or not, we do not know. If it
was part of Terah's call, it certainly was not enough to entice him
to continue to Canaan. God promised Abram, “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. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever
curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed
through you” (Genesis 12:2-3, NIV). Abram didn't hesitate, but rose
up, and moved forward to complete what his father had left in Harran.
How many times do we miss opportunities
that God extends? They are probably too numerous to even count. God
will always have someone who will say yes to His call, but then not
push forward to complete it. Detours like Harran will appear too
tempting. If we don't persevere in what God calls us to do, He will
raise up another like Abram to fulfill it. God's purpose will be
fulfilled. The question is whether we want to hang on and be a part
of the promise of His blessing or allow someone else to receive what
we threw away.
Terah settled for the call of Harran
more than the call of God. Abram was called to “go from your
father's household.” He was not called to rejuvenate the call
within his father, but was told to leave Terah behind. Abram was not
called to include those who would settle for less than the best or
who would allow the world to deter them from God's purpose. Abram was
called to leave behind all that Harran had claimed and move on toward
Canaan.
Often we hear the story of Abraham, and
study how God's call changed his life. Consider Terah and what he
missed. If Terah was called to Canaan first but then allowed Harran
to pull him off course, he missed an opportunity of a lifetime. What
is your call? What has drawn you aside from fulfilling it? What has
kept you from persevering to the end? Does Canaan seem too distant
or is Harran too tempting? Whatever has pulled you aside will keep
you from God's best for your life. Don't expect someone else to make
His purpose live again in you. That is your call and your decision.
If you say no, God will always raise someone up to complete what you
have missed. Why allow someone else to have what was originally meant
to be yours? Persevere and hold on. Allow the enticement of God's
blessing to claim your heart. Say no to every Harran in your path,
and keep your eyes firmly fixed on Canaan. Let your yes to God's call
be as real as His promise is to you.
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