Leaving the Comfort Zone

February 28, 2013

Leaving the Comfort Zone

Genesis 12:1-9

Read The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:1-3)

Reflect When God called him, Abram moved in faith from Ur to Haran and finally to Canaan. God planned to develop a nation of people he would call his own. He called Abram from the godless, self-centered city of Ur to a fertile region called Canaan, where a God-centered nation could be established. Though small in dimensions, the land of Canaan was the focal point for most of Israel's history as well as for the rise of Christianity. This small land given to one man, Abram, has had a tremendous impact on world history. God then established a covenant with Abram, promising to make him a great nation. Not only would Abram's own nation be blessed, God said, but the other nations of the earth would be blessed through Abram's descendants, the people of Israel. They were to follow God and influence those whom they came in contact with. What's more, through Abram's family tree Jesus Christ was born to save humanity. Through Christ, people can have a personal relationship with God and be blessed beyond measure. God promised to bless Abram and make him famous, but God had one condition: Abram had to do what God wanted him to do. This meant leaving his home and friends and traveling to a new land where God promised to build a great nation from Abram's family. Abram obeyed, leaving his home to pursue God's promise of even greater blessings in the future.

Respond What is God calling you to? Don't let the comfort and security of your present position cause you to miss God's plan for you.