Abram
Genesis 11:26-31 After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. Now Sarai was barren; she had no children. 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 Haran, they settled there.
Terah headed out from Ur but stopped halfway to Canaan in Haran, the land bearing the name of his son who died. Age, poor health, comfortable living conditions, being tired - all of these may have caused Terah to settle without moving on to his intended destination. But I think that as the men of the family talked throughout the days and around the dying embers of the fires at night, the dream of Canaan was a regular theme. "What is Canaan like? What would life be like if we lived there? Papa Terah, why did you want to take us to Canaan? Perhaps one day we will move on to live out your dream in the land of promise. Yes, my sons, perhaps one day."
Genesis 11:32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran. One day in Canaan never came for Terah. But the father's dream was alive in the hearts of his son and grandson. And God continued the dream with command and promise.
Genesis 12:1-5 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 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." So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Abram heard from God and responded with obedience to the call on his life. The desire to go to Canaan was already deeply imbedded in his heart; the dream did not die with Terah. Abram set out on the adventure designed by God, at His command, and with His blessing. All he knew to be true from past stories told by his father about what was ahead in Canaan coupled with the promise of God made faith well up in his heart, compelling him to go confidently into the unknown.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Abram was sure that God's promise was true, he believed, and he obeyed. Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
In this adventure called life, Father God begins our journey with His dream for us and we follow along as His children. His dream is built into the fiber of our hearts - the dream He has for us to walk fully and freely in His purposes and promises. And when we are ready, He calls to us by continuing the dream and making clear the promises. We begin to realize that the dream in our heart and His call match up because it was His dream from the beginning. How could we refuse to answer His call and respond with loving obedience? Every part of our lives - our family heritage, our childhood, our education, training, gifts, talents and life experience - is built and formed on the dream Father God has to fulfill His purposes and promises in us, from us, for us, and through us. Responsive obedience to His call demonstrates that we have faith in Him to bring His dreams into reality. Abram's faith is an example to us all.
Romans 4:3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Romans 4:16-17 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
My precious friends, Lauren and Stephen, have a dream and are answering His call and moving away in responsive obedience. Much like Abram, it is a hope in the unknowns of Father God and a certainty of what they do not yet know, that brings faith to move. They know the direction to go. They know the dreams in their hearts. They know His promise is true. They have the faith to believe in the God who calls things that are not as though they were. Their faith is an example to us all. I will miss them terribly but my prayers and love and encouragement will follow them into the fulfillment of their dreams which are really Father's dreams of purpose and promise for them. This morning I wrote in my journal:
I loathe writing the date on this page for it is the date of the Good Bye Dinner for Lauren and Stephen. My heart is pained with Joys that Sting*, yet I smile at the adventure I know lies ahead for them. It won't be easy but it doesn't have to be burdensome or a struggle if they know and rest in the truth of You. I pray this for them in earnest: that they would wake each morning with joy and anticipation of what You will bring in the day - that they would find rest and replenishment in the days of waiting for You to bring it - that their weaknesses highlighted would bring peace in seeing Your strengths revealed - that memories would make love swell in their their hearts and not bring tears to their eyes - that cold snowy winter days would draw them to Your all consuming fire - and that the music of their lives would bring new songs of praise to their lips. I pray that they have all that You have intended for them and that You fulfill every dream You have placed in their hearts.
Bye, sweet friends. The territory ahead is calling your names. MUCH LOVE TO YOU.
amy
* Joys That Sting by C.S. Lewis
"Oh do not die" says Donne, "for I shall hate
All women so." How false the sentence rings.
Women? But in a life made desolate
It is the joys once shared that have the stings.
To take the old walks alone, or not at all,
To order one pint where I ordered two,
To think of, and then not to make, the small
Time-honoured joke (senseless to all but you);
To laugh (oh, one'll laugh), to talk upon
Themes that we talked upon when you were there,
To make some poor pretense of going on,
Be kind to one's old friends, and seem to care,
While no one (O, God) through the years will say
The simplest, common word in just your way.
Terah headed out from Ur but stopped halfway to Canaan in Haran, the land bearing the name of his son who died. Age, poor health, comfortable living conditions, being tired - all of these may have caused Terah to settle without moving on to his intended destination. But I think that as the men of the family talked throughout the days and around the dying embers of the fires at night, the dream of Canaan was a regular theme. "What is Canaan like? What would life be like if we lived there? Papa Terah, why did you want to take us to Canaan? Perhaps one day we will move on to live out your dream in the land of promise. Yes, my sons, perhaps one day."
Genesis 11:32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran. One day in Canaan never came for Terah. But the father's dream was alive in the hearts of his son and grandson. And God continued the dream with command and promise.
Genesis 12:1-5 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 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." So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Abram heard from God and responded with obedience to the call on his life. The desire to go to Canaan was already deeply imbedded in his heart; the dream did not die with Terah. Abram set out on the adventure designed by God, at His command, and with His blessing. All he knew to be true from past stories told by his father about what was ahead in Canaan coupled with the promise of God made faith well up in his heart, compelling him to go confidently into the unknown.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Abram was sure that God's promise was true, he believed, and he obeyed. Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
In this adventure called life, Father God begins our journey with His dream for us and we follow along as His children. His dream is built into the fiber of our hearts - the dream He has for us to walk fully and freely in His purposes and promises. And when we are ready, He calls to us by continuing the dream and making clear the promises. We begin to realize that the dream in our heart and His call match up because it was His dream from the beginning. How could we refuse to answer His call and respond with loving obedience? Every part of our lives - our family heritage, our childhood, our education, training, gifts, talents and life experience - is built and formed on the dream Father God has to fulfill His purposes and promises in us, from us, for us, and through us. Responsive obedience to His call demonstrates that we have faith in Him to bring His dreams into reality. Abram's faith is an example to us all.
Romans 4:3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Romans 4:16-17 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
My precious friends, Lauren and Stephen, have a dream and are answering His call and moving away in responsive obedience. Much like Abram, it is a hope in the unknowns of Father God and a certainty of what they do not yet know, that brings faith to move. They know the direction to go. They know the dreams in their hearts. They know His promise is true. They have the faith to believe in the God who calls things that are not as though they were. Their faith is an example to us all. I will miss them terribly but my prayers and love and encouragement will follow them into the fulfillment of their dreams which are really Father's dreams of purpose and promise for them. This morning I wrote in my journal:
I loathe writing the date on this page for it is the date of the Good Bye Dinner for Lauren and Stephen. My heart is pained with Joys that Sting*, yet I smile at the adventure I know lies ahead for them. It won't be easy but it doesn't have to be burdensome or a struggle if they know and rest in the truth of You. I pray this for them in earnest: that they would wake each morning with joy and anticipation of what You will bring in the day - that they would find rest and replenishment in the days of waiting for You to bring it - that their weaknesses highlighted would bring peace in seeing Your strengths revealed - that memories would make love swell in their their hearts and not bring tears to their eyes - that cold snowy winter days would draw them to Your all consuming fire - and that the music of their lives would bring new songs of praise to their lips. I pray that they have all that You have intended for them and that You fulfill every dream You have placed in their hearts.
Bye, sweet friends. The territory ahead is calling your names. MUCH LOVE TO YOU.
amy
* Joys That Sting by C.S. Lewis
"Oh do not die" says Donne, "for I shall hate
All women so." How false the sentence rings.
Women? But in a life made desolate
It is the joys once shared that have the stings.
To take the old walks alone, or not at all,
To order one pint where I ordered two,
To think of, and then not to make, the small
Time-honoured joke (senseless to all but you);
To laugh (oh, one'll laugh), to talk upon
Themes that we talked upon when you were there,
To make some poor pretense of going on,
Be kind to one's old friends, and seem to care,
While no one (O, God) through the years will say
The simplest, common word in just your way.
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