I have been thinking a bit about my life, and how God called me out of what I thought was ‘a good thing’ into something even better. In obedience I succumbed to His will, and since then, I have never looked back. I have seen where my dreams changed from simple to things so big that I know it is with God ONLY that they can be accomplished. I have begun to behave and think in different ways that I could not have before my understanding had been enlightened. It’s all because of Jesus. To Him be the Glory and the Praise - He alone deserves them.
Last night I was reading about Abraham and Lot and it got me to think more about the decisions we make. To begin with, God called Abram whose name He later changed to Abraham. At the time, he was living with his father Terah, his wife Sarai (later God changed her name to Sarah) and his nephew, Lot (whose father, Haran, had died). Obediently, Abraham left his home and his father’s house to go to a land he did not yet know! The thing is though, he took Lot with him. Now you may be wondering what the big deal is since he took Sarah also. My understanding is that God called him - a man, who is the head of his household, therefore allowing him to bring along his submissive wife. But, God did not call Lot and his house with Abraham. God only called Abraham, where He promised, as evidenced in Genesis 12:1, where He would make him a great nation, bless him, make his name great and by whom all families of the earth shall be blessed. Lot was not apart of this prophesy. When God calls us, we often make decisions to bring along those we love, because we cannot separate from them. We feel, that this love we have for them is enough to qualify them to be receivers of our blessing. In the same way, some of us, when we are called out of the things of the world, we hold on to some habits, things, traditions and customs, failing to see that by being called, we must let them go. As the Word shows us in Genesis 13: 1-12, Abraham had to separate himself from Lot. Verses 14 says, 'And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward.’ The key word is NOW. It was only when Lot went out in the direction of Zoar, that Abraham could be eligible to receive his blessing. How many of us are still dragging along people, and things that God did not call with us? I myself brought along a person when I was called. I kept them with me for almost seven years. Then one day, God whispered to me the word, ‘bondage’ in connection with the person. I knew that God was calling me to separate. As painful as it was, I decided to obey God in this rather than listening to myself or the people around me. I separated myself and disconnected as best as I could from the person. What seemed like an immediate response to my obedience, I began to see the blessings of God rain down upon me. More often than not, I was living in awe of God’s splendor and majesty. Today, I see where even when I thought I was obedient, there were things that I needed to do in my life that would please God. I was living a compromising life by my constant connection to this person. Remember Lot's wife? She compromised by looking back into the world. She was longing for the world, even though God gave her a chance to be saved. We have to show God that we are focused on Him, that we value our salvation. God showed me that if He called me, it was to bless me and my generations to come. I sit back and I reflect. If I had not come out, then life would have been a complete defeat. My children and their children would have been reaping the curses I sowed. Their lives would be filled with failures - academically, financially, in their family lives, their marriages, their careers, their health, their self esteem, their confidence and so many other areas…
For me, I trust God. When He called me out, and when I separated myself and chose to be a non-compromising Christian, I understood that His plans were to prosper me and give me an expected end. I was assured that He is the author and finisher of my faith. I knew He held my beginning and my end and that my future was secured in Him. Today, I know who my God is and I know that I can rest in Him. Today, I may not be seeing the outcomes to the situations I am facing, but I know that God sees it - and that they are good. Church, I encourage you to drop off the things that you have been carrying around with you that are not part of the blessing God wants to release in your life. I encourage you to separate yourself from the people you love (by not doing the things they are doing in the world) as you demonstrate your obedience unto God. I encourage you to stand in Christ, because He is standing with you.
May God Bless You Richly.
