God Goes With You
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him. – Genesis 12:4a
Let’s just get this part out of the way: Abram is Abraham, the great ancestor of faith, the father of Isaac, the grandfather of Jacob (also named Israel), and the one from whom God’s promise to the chosen people originates. He’s still Abram in this story because God hasn’t changed his name yet, but trust me, he’s Abraham. Just for clarity, I’m going to keep referring to him as Abraham even though he’s still Abram in this text, which we heard in worship on Sunday.
I treasure Abraham’s story over almost any other extended story in scripture. Other books and characters capture my attention, but the saga of Abraham and his family – Sarah and Isaac, Hagar and Ishmael – really compels me. Through the story of this family with all its missteps and bold faith, I feel like we hear about the shape of faith in our lives.
I’ll admit that I find great comfort in the times Abraham or one of his family members messes up. Abraham’s story has jealousy, doubt, betrayal, deception, and apathy. That’s real. We recognize those things in our own lives. And even with all that, God stays committed to Abraham. God just keeps doubling down on the promises initially made to Abraham: that he would be the forefather of a great nation and that all people would be blessed through his family.
If I find comfort in God’s faithfulness through Abraham’s messiness, I find hope in Abraham’s willingness to constantly return to God and do as God asks. In the verse from chapter 12, all God has to do is say GO. God tells Abraham to go, not even where exactly Abraham would go, and still Abraham and his family pack up and leave. Not only does Abraham trust God to lead him, but Abraham also keeps trusting God even when Abraham has messed up, taken matters into his own hands, or doubted what God says. He doesn’t always get it right, but he sticks with it.
Whatever it is your day holds, or wherever yesterday took you (but especially if it took you off course), know that God goes with you. And it’s never too late to listen carefully and go where God sends you.
Let us pray:
God, open my heart so I can hear your call. Send me to people and places who need your care. Call me to generosity and compassion for the sake of your world. Keep me close to you so I can constantly depend on your faithfulness to me. Amen.