Leaving, Part 1: Abram

I was hit hard as I drove into Stillwater this week. It’s my last semester in college, and unless the Lord leads otherwise, it’s my last semester in good ol’ Stillwater, America. My last semester in a place where I've experienced immeasurable growth and found my deepest community. 

I decided to study stories in the Bible that involve people moving, separating, leaving, etc. I'm trying to do more applying Scripture to my life while maintaining the original meaning, instead of reading it for only the original meaning. I’ve skimmed a few stories, and it’s going to be tough to accept that it’ll be me soon, but I’m looking forward to what God’s can do even in my fear. 

I’m writing it all down anyway, and considering the millions of students who are doing the same thing in May, I figured I’d share.

First, I read the story:

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.  And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.  Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb. 

Genesis 12:1-9

Then, I make some observations (elementary education's got this engrained in my mind as the only way to take notes):

     Verse 1: Leaving home and family, going to an unknown place.

     Verse 2-3: God makes him a promise that He'll be faithful.

     Verse 4: Abram goes, Lot joins, and he's ooooold.

     Verse 5: He takes all of his possessions, his wife, nephew, and some other people.

     Verse 6: He goes through a foreign land.

     Verse 7: God makes a promise to his offspring, Abram obeys God's command. 

     Verse 8-9: They progressed from place to place, God only gave Him the next step, not the complete journey.

This story appears again in Hebrews, when the author is writing about people who expressed great faith in what the Lord was doing, yet "all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised..." (11:39).

By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. Hebrews 11:8-10 

More observations:

     Verse 8-9: Abram was guided along, went in faith, saw the foundation but didn’t see the final project.

And last, I reflect (this is also my major's fault, and entirely unedited except for what Grammarly pointed out):

     Abram was so full of faith that he was willing to leave his home and all he knew for a new place - and he didn't even know what the new place was. God guided him one step at a time, and he trusted. Lord, I want this faith to follow where you lead, even if it’s not my final destination. There are places I want to go, but You could just as easily take me to the least expected or least desirable. I pray for the faith to trust that if You do, You’re there. You didn’t promise to bless my descendants or make them into a great nation, but I pray that wherever I go, I will grow roots that further Your name and kingdom. I pray that my descendants, whether spiritual or biological, will be established there – whether it’s my final stop or just a stop along the way. I want the trust Abram had. He was old, and it would have been so easy for him to make excuses because of his health or his deep roots at home, but he went because You called. Open my ears to Your call. Break down the walls that are blocking my heart from listening to what I don’t want to hear. Continually remind me that where I am and what I do is not for me, but for You. I’m afraid of losing purpose and just flowing through life, ignorant of any meaning, and forgetting You and what You’ve done even though I didn’t deserve it. I want to take Your Gospel to those who don’t know or believe it. That could be close to home or far, far away. People in all places long to hear of the free grace you give. Take me to them, wherever that is. Even if I go only to lay a foundation like Abram, I want to trust that You always know what You’re doing and You’re always on time, even when I’m impatient and my expectations are unmet.

And that's all. We'll see what the other stories have in store!