"The Lord said to Abram, "Go out from your country..." (Genesis 12:1 NIV)
Abram was called to a new country, and so are we. Every believer is invited to come out of their place of origin. In His mercy, God calls us out from the comforts, proclivities and transgressions of living solely for ourselves.
God’s country is vastly different from our country. He operates on different values, priorities and timelines. By default, we are each born sitting squarely at the center of our own country. In God’s country, His love for humanity always sits at the center.
Our journey to a new country is an uncomfortable expedition. We leave so much of ourselves behind initially, and more and more as the terrain wears on. Sanctification is a lot like the old wagon trail west; previously precious belongings are cast aside all along the way. The arduous expedition serves to transform us into the pioneers we believe ourselves to be.
Along the route, we struggle to believe God’s country will be better. The trek to total sanctification is harrowing, we wonder if we’ll even make it. There is always a degree of temptation to turn back, to make a run for Ur or Egypt or whatever might make us feel better in that moment. But God, again in His mercy, calls us forward, ever moving us deeper into dependency on Him.
Much of the journey is just us: a frail human and a holy God picking their way across the wilderness, learning to live in right relationship daily.
Abram died before he saw all the promises of God fulfilled. So will we. And when we wake up on the other side of death, we’ll finally be standing in the new country, God’s country. Suddenly we’ll be certain of every hardship, every sacrifice, every perceived loss along the way – it’s all worth the landscape awarded in the afterlife. We will spend eternity fully convinced: God’s country is infinitely better than our country.
"By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance obeyed and went, even tough he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob who were heirs with him on the same promise. For he was looking forward to a city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." (Hebrews 11:8-10 NIV)
Lord, help us follow by faith. Today we see how You are calling us to a better country and we must be willing to leave our own. We understand the journey will be demanding, but You are with us every step of the way. Give us grace as we let go of the places that previously defined us. Make us content in being Your people, wherever our tents are staked. Keep leading us to an everlasting country and continue to prepare our hearts as we proceed. We are happy to make our home in You.