Navigating Speed Bumps in following the Call of Jesus (Take Heart)
Take Heart.
You’re not done yet. God’s not finished with your story yet. You might be in a tough place right now navigating a destructive cocktail of circumstances and errors but God’s got you. With Him, you’ve got this.
Jesus’ isn’t finished with you yet — so Take Heart ❤
Genesis 12:7–13
God appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your children.” Abram built an altar at the place God had appeared to him.
He moved on from there to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent between Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there and prayed to God.
Abram kept moving, steadily making his way south, to the Negev.
Then a famine came to the land. Abram went down to Egypt to live; it was a hard famine.As he drew near to Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, “Look. We both know you’re a beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you they’re going to say, ‘Aha! That’s his wife!’ and kill me. But they’ll let you live. Do me a favour: tell them you’re my sister. Because of you they’ll welcome me and let me live.”
Imagine Yourself in this Story
At the point in time we pick up on Abram and Sarai’s story, there’s already been a lot going on.
At the age of 75, Abram hears a call from God to ‘Leave your country, your family, and your fathers home for a land that I will show you…’
Abram responds to this God-adventure by setting out for the land of Canaan. Scholars estimate this would have been a journey of around 550 miles (885 kms). Given the times, the journey was undertaken on foot/camel, and while we don’t know how long it took, it was certainly not a day-trip!
They might have gotten a bit sticky and stinky, but they make it. Whatever discussions they needed to have with friends and family were had and they get there safely.
What an excellent adventure! We could write entire sermons on this part alone. The incredible act of faith demonstrated by giving up everything to go on a God-adventure.
If we’re imagining ourselves in this story, we should take some time to appreciate this moment. Imagine if it was you giving up:
- The safety the safety and comfort of a home we know well
- The security of a home amongst our family support system
- The sense of rest when surrounded by things we know well
Then setting out to a location which is many many days/weeks/months away. Imagine saying goodbye to friends and family for a pretty vague calling with a pretty big promise.
Talk about a great faith story — and maybe once upon a time you were walking it!
A Promise Is Received
Our scripture picks up after they arrive. Abram and Sarai are doing their thing. In todays context, they were settling in and getting to know the neighbourhood.
Then God turns up again. For the second time in just 7 verses, God drops another incredible promise on Abram. He promises to give Abram the land he’s wandering around on to his children (at that time, Abram and Sarai were childless).
The response from Abram is worship. He immediately builds an altar (no small undertaking) to commemorate the moment. It’s todays equivalent of taking a photo and hanging it on a wall or adding it to the family photo album. It’s an act of faith, worship and reverence to say “This is where it happened! This is the moment God spoke to me and changed my life!”
It’s the baptism certificate which says “On this day, I chose to do this.”
It’s the marriage photo on the wall which says “I chose on this day to commit to this person.”
It’s the speech to the business conference, leadership team or un-saved family where you say “I stand here by the grace of God. It was dirty, stinky and involved some tough choices, but with Him I made it.”
It’s a moment of deep, personal and intimate worship in recognition of a connection between an eternal Saviour and us, the pinnacle of His creation.
It’s Abrams way of saying “Thank you.”
Then Comes Disaster
Then disaster strikes.
The bible specifically calls out that this was a hard famine. The original word translates to words like heavy, great, massive, difficult, burdensome. The New King James Version uses the words ‘grievous’.
Abram and Sarai confront a grievous famine. In the span of one verse Abram goes from a moment of deep, personal and intimate worship to a place of deep, personal and faith-crushing disaster.
So great is this grievous famine that to survive, they have to move to somewhere, anywhere there’s food. And that place is Egypt, a journey of around 800 miles or 1287 kms.
On foot. Through the dirt and stink and dust. Not because they’re on a wonderful faith adventure with God, but to survive.
Economically they’re vulnerable.
Emotionally things aren’t looking great.
The monuments of faith they so gladly built to worship God are left behind. The beautiful wedding photos are taken off the walls and packed up. The family photo album is coated in a thick layer of the dirty, smelly dust wafting through the air as the fields turn into desert.
On top of all this, Abram is now afraid for his life. He has to worry that the place where they can somehow survive is the place where he can be slaughtered at the whim of someone who desires his wife.
Yikes.
Under enormous pressure, with physical, personal and economic disaster all around him, Abram cracks. He hits a challenge he didn’t ask for, didn’t want and didn’t anticipate. He hits a giant speed bump, and his faith journey totally bottoms out.
The result is recorded for us.
It’s this moment of ‘speed-bumpiness’ I want to speak to in this article.
If this is you and you’re in this moment, here’s some thoughts to take home.
#1: Your Story Doesn’t End Here
Did you know that Abrams story continues for another 13.5 chapters?
He goes on to become the ‘father’ of our faith. In fact it is with Abram that we first see righteousness with God being transmuted by faith (Gen 15:6).
Abram definitely cracked in this moment — but it wasn’t the end of his story. And it’s not the end of your story either.
#2: Take Heart
To Take Heart means to rest. Rejuvenate. Drink deeply of refreshing water. Recover.
In the rest of Genesis 12, we see a remarkable story unfold. God causes Abram to prosper. To get his breath back. Abram leaves Egypt more wealthy than he arrived. He might have cracked under pressure, but God intervenes to make sure that Abram is protected and recovered.
God’s heart is the same for you today. No matter what it is that’s going on, take a moment to Take Heart. Connect with our amazing Saviour and share with Him what’s going on. He’ll step in and refresh you ❤
#3: One Day There’ll Be Another Altar
Near the end of Genesis 13, we see Abram building another altar.
Abram took some hits. He cracked under pressure. We see him needing to address another issue, that of his nephew Lot needing to leave. But after these steps, God speaks to him again and he builds another altar.
It’s one of several Abram goes on to build after this story.
One day you’ll hear from Jesus again. There’ll be more photos to put in your photo album. You’ll have more photos to hang on the walls. You’ll have more speeches to give to people who have yet to meet Jesus.
Remember, God’s not done with you yet!
#4: Connect With Jesus Right Now
Abram’s story is just one story in the story of Jesus.
Ephesians 1:3–6 says that “…Long before He (the Father) laid down the earths foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ (what pleasure He took in planning this!)”
Did you know that you were created on purpose, for a purpose?
Did you know that our eternal Father chose to love you, and enjoyed planning how to connect with you?
Did you know that He connects with us through Jesus?
And that connection is available to you, right here, right now. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, His desire is to connect with you.
That destructive cocktail of circumstance and error you’re facing is nothing more than a speed bump from His perspective.
Jesus isn’t finished with you yet — so Take Heart ❤
