COURAGE FOR THE CALL - Part 2

Seriously considering the life of Abram and his profound Faith and Trust in the God he had only heard about, since there were no written Scriptures in his day, should be a strong motivating factor in our own lives to seek to know God better everyday! In last week's blog we saw that Abram received a definitive call from God. We have no indication in Scripture that God's call to leave Haran was anything other than in his inner spirit. Today, we have the Scriptures, in which God speaks more often than not, realizing that God usually speaks to us in our inner spirit rather than in an audible voice.

Yes, the call from God to Abram was specific and direct. It was a call for him to embark on a long and difficult journey to a place God would show him. Abram's call was to TRAVEL WITH GOD and to TRUST IN GOD! (I encourage you to read the blog from last week for continuity.) Now, let's pick up right where we left off.

Third, IT'S A CALL TO BE TRANSFORMED BY GOD! Abram's journey may look at the beginning to be a self-willed decision and self-made effort to go out and make a conquest of his own, to make his own way in life. But very quickly he (and we) will discover quite the opposite to be true. This wasn't a call to take hold of anything other than God! Instead of taking hold of self, Abram will spend the rest of his life learning to "let go and let God"! He will let go of his doubts and fears, of his personal passions, and of his way of doing things, of running his own life! He'll learn to stop singing that song we all know "I did it my way." God's plan and objective is to bring Abram to the point where the only thing he has left is GOD HIMSELF! God literally transform-

ed Abram in a magnificent way.

Abram won't arrive where God wants him by just being a better person, by making a few minor changes in his attitude, his perspective or in his relationships. It won't be by trying harder to manage his life. Abram can't answer God's call with a lukewarm commitment and effort - This is going to REQUIRE tremendous GOD-DIRECTED COURAGE if he is going to arrive at the place God was leading him.

Let's take a lesson here; the same is true for us! Our thought usually is, if God needs or wants something from me, I will just need to work harder. I'll read more good books, read my Bible more, say more prayers, pray longer or louder, attend more Bible studies, listen to more podcasts or more Christian programs on TV, etc. However, the issue is NOT about trying harder, since merely trying harder, etc. does not deliver what it promotes to deliver; it will result in failure, disappointment and spiritual defeat!

This reminds me of the imaginary saga of the Little Blue Engine that "thought he could." It goes something like this:

"The little blue engine looked up the hill, His light was weak, his whistle shrill.

He was tired and small, and the hill was tall, and his face blushed with red as he softly said,

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

So he started up with a chug and a strain, And he puffed and pulled with might and main.

And slowly he climbed, a foot at a time, And his engine coughed as he whispered soft,

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

With a squeak and a creak and a toot and a sigh, With an extra hope and an extra try,

He would not stop, now near the top, and strong and proud he cried out loud,

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

He was almost there when CRASH! SMASH1 and BASH! He slid down and mashed into engine hash

On the rocks below. . .which goes to show, If the track is tough and the hill is rough,

THINKING you can just ain't enough!

ALL of Abram's best efforts could never be enough. Trying hard won't get it done for us either! Mark my words, if we are to answer and obey God's call in our life, it will ONLY be through a life transformed from the inside out by the power of the Holy Spirit!

Yes, we do everything we can to give ourself over to the control and transforming grace of the Holy Spirit! We read, study, pray, worship, confess, serve and give, etc., but none of that ALONE makes us a holy vessel for God! Only God Himself can make us what He wants us to be and bring us to inner transformation! You see, it is NOT about our desires, efforts, good works or admirable intentions! We read of those in the Bible whom God transformed - Abram, Jacob, Moses, David, Samson, Noah, Joseph, Rahab, Gideon, Ruth, Peter, Paul, James and many others. What did they have in common? In an uncommon way, they gave everything in their lives over to God - their weaknesses, strengths, needs, passions, agendas, plans, pride, fears, their hearts, minds and very souls!

Don't try to do more and do it better! Rather, give yourself to letting go and giving God more of your heart, will, time, energy, more of your personal commitment, your devotion, and more of your dreams. Instead of trying to prove yourself, put yourself into God's "hands." So, let me summarize truths from the life of Abraham (formerly called Abram). Read carefully!

First, looking at the text immediately preceding the account of Abaham in the 12th Chapter of Genesis, we read in Genesis 11:27-32 of Abram's father, Terah. Verse 31 says, "Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai, and his grandson Lot and left Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the Land of Canaan. But they stopped instead at the Village of Haran and settled there." Why did Terah want to leave Ur and go to Canaan? Scripture gives no indication as to his reason. We can assume that Terah was a believer in the true God, and thus taught his children to believe also. My thought is that God placed this desire to go to Canaan in Terah's inner spirit. Abram's journey picked up where his father's ended. He followed God's call and finished what his father started. Abram's call connects with what God had already begun through his father. So, God had already been working before He summoned Abram. Thus, our lesson is to realize that the greatest and highest call we can receive is TO JOIN GOD - to partner with God in that which He is already doing! Here then is what we need to do! We must recognize where God is already working in our life. Identify what He is already saying to us. Do this through consistent prayer and reading God's Word! Determine what theme He constantly returns your mind or thoughts toward. He will reveal to you what He wants you to know as you Seek Him!

Second, grasp the meaning and application of the text in Genesis, Chapter 12. In verse 1, "The LORD TOLD Abram. . . ." Then in verse 7 we read, "The LORD APPEARED to Abram. . . ." Get this: at the start God spoke. AFTER Abram heard, obeyed and launched out on the journey God appeared to him. God's presence only becomes REAL to us when we hear His call, obey and get moving to what He says to us! He gives us the COURAGE we need to do His will AFTER WE OBEY! The Psalmist said, "Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he does for His people!" (Psalm 66:5). Let's remember our encounters with God! Perhaps we ought to record (write) them, keep track of them, write about them in a perpetual journal or mark them down in a Book of Remembrance. Keep mementos of God's revealed presence, of occasions when God has answered our prayers and has worked in our life and circumstances when they were beyond what we could do for ourselves.

Third, God did not work for Abram's benefit alone! Oh, it is true that Abram did benefit as he obeyed with COURAGE God's call to an extraordinary enterprize. But it wasn't FOR Abram. What God does, God does FOR His benefit, His Honor and His glory! It's about God's will, desires, vision, purpose, plans, passions and blessings on His people and their future! Does that bother you, as you understand this life of "trust and obey" is not all about you? Here is what the Scripture says, "We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps" (Proverbs 16:9). "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His own good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). Ephesians 1:11-12 says, ". . .according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be to the praise of His glory."

Here's what to do! Relinquish your present and your future to God's purpose and plan for you, Our "Father knows Best." Let God direct what your life holds! Why? Because He loves you, He knows what the very best is for you, and in all honesty you and I have as much control over our daily lives and future as we have over the direction the wind blows. (not much, right?) GIVE UP the path your feet are currently on and TRUST GOD to put you on His path! A bumper sticker read, "If God is your co-pilot, Change seats!"

There is no such thing in real life as accidentally answering God's call. It requires a very real, a very intentional, constant COURAGE! COURAGE to recognize, remember and relinquish! Thus, we can make right choices, follow through on God's call and cultivate the COURAGE needed to obey Him, leading to spiritually ordained blessings from God's gracious "hand"! ARE YOU A CANDIDATE FOR THE COURAGE FOR THE CALL? Now let us seek to obtain it!