November 8 | Genesis 12:1-3, 7-8

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DAILY READING

Genesis 12:1-3, 7-8

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REFLECTION

God's Promises in Uncertain Times

By Carmel Elmer

“The Lord said: Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you” Genesis 12:1

Before reading on, take a moment, close your eyes, and imagine you are Abram…

What went through your mind?  What did you feel?   My initial reaction?  “THIS is my home and it’s all I know.  What if I don’t speak the language and I am not welcome there?  How will I feed my family and where will we live? I'll do anything you ask of me but, please don't ask me to do this!” 

So many reasons why it doesn’t make sense to leave what it is familiar and so much push back.

But not from Abram.  His response was obedience and a trust in God’s promises to him that led him to pack everything he had and set out on a journey to an unfamiliar country not knowing what was ahead.  We know the end of the story, but at the time, Abram didn’t.  He just knew that God called him to leave his home with the promise that he would be the father of a great nation, that he would have more descendants than could be counted, and that he and his descendants would be a blessing to the world.  Forget the fact that he and Sarai had no children and were too old to start a family.  The promises that God made seemed impossible and yet, we know they were fulfilled.  Why?  Because Abram was obedient and he trusted God more than he trusted what he could see or understand based on his circumstance.

We all have times in our life when the road ahead is uncertain and we don’t know the end of our story, but God does.  I can think of many times in my life when I just wanted God’s booming voice to tell me what to do or where to go and lately, with so much uncertainty in the world around us, I want that more than ever.  It can be hard to see God’s promises of blessings ahead.  But even if we don’t see the pathway to blessings, the way to bless others is pretty simple:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37)

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:39)

In this life, most of us will never hear God’s voice clearly telling us what to do and we may not see the end of our story, but we can be certain of the promises he makes.  Maybe the way to secure those promises for future generations lies in simply putting these two great commands into practice on our journey through the unknown.  Some may call it blind faith, but I call it trust in the all-knowing, ever-present, life-giving God who is the giver of all good things and the only one who never breaks a promise!

PRAYER

May we all have the faith of Abram and trust in God’s promises no matter how uncertain the road ahead is.  Let our obedience to You be evident in our love for those around us and let that love produce blessings for generations to come.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CARMEL ELMER

I have attended UALC for nearly 25 years, but faith has always been at the center of my life. My mom was an incredible role model, demonstrating a trust in God that surpassed any circumstance. I will always be grateful for her incredible example of faith, and I pray that one day, my children will say the same about me.