Today, we are looking at one of the most critical moments in human history—the day God called a man named Abram. Up until this point in Genesis, humanity had wandered far from God, culminating in the proud of Babel Tower. But in Genesis 12, God changes His strategy. Instead of addressing the whole world at once, He handpicks one man, and as the result, that one man’s life would never be the same.
If there is one thing the Bible teaches us, it is this: God rarely does His greatest work within our comfort zones. Because He is still deeply committed to working through us, He quite often begins by disrupting our comfort zones.
“If God is an all-powerful, all-knowing god, why couldn’t He accomplish His purposes in our lives anywhere—whether we are in a place of comfort or a place of challenge?” we might ask.
I believe God shakes up our comfort zones to pull us away from relying on familiar routines and move us toward total trust in His guidance and provision. Of course, we don’t like it—and frankly, neither did Abram. If we stay too long within our comfort zones, leaning entirely on our own resources, habits, and sense of security, we start to believe we are the ones calling the shots. We might think that we don’t need anyone’s help, and sadly, that often includes God.
Today’s story begins with a staggering command by God: “Abram! Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”
Think about what God was asking. Your country, your close relatives, your parents and siblings are your safety net, your financial security and identity. When God asked Abram to leave, he didn’t give him a destination! He just said, “Just go and I will show you later.”
Faith is rarely static. It almost always involves a physical, emotional, or spiritual disruption—a leaving behind of the familiar to step into what God has planned next. The real dilemma is that we don’t know where we’re heading.
When God calls, the departure is often the very first test of trust. Here are a few prominent examples where God asked individual or groups to just pack up and leave.
It happened to Moses. God appeared to him at a mysterious bush fire situation and said, “Moses! Leave”. So, Moses and a multitude of his fellow people left Egypt, which was the only home they had known for over 400 years. And to be worse, this departure led them wander around in the desert for 40 years. +
We see this in the lives of the Disciples, those 12 ordinary men—fishermen, tax collectors, and tradesmen. When Jesus called them, the scripture says they left their fishing nets, boats, stable businesses, and familiar routines… just to travel with Jesus.
When we make a move to a new state or even a different country, the first thing we usually do is to confirm our destination. But for the people we read about in the Bible, it was often quite different. They frequently had no idea where they were going, and it often took years, or even decades, before they took their first steps toward their destination.
Yet, looking back, every individual and every community learned the same beautiful truth: when God called them to pack up and leave, it was always the beginning of God’s new favour and blessing.
God tells Abram: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and you will be a blessing.” God confirms this promise by changing his name from Abram to Abraham. Abram means ‘respected father’ but Abraham means ‘father of many nations.’
We know there are some people who change their names, but when God changes our name, it’s completely different. For instance, Simon was one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, and Jesus changed his name to Peter. Simon meant ‘listener’ and Peter ‘rock’. Jesus gave him a new identity and new life by giving him a new name.
By the same token, by changing his name, God bestowed a brand-new identity upon Abraham and his entire household. Abraham was no longer just an ordinary nomad wandering the desert; he was now a specially chosen vessel of Almighty God’s favour and blessing.
Here is the most crucial part of Abraham’s story. Listen again. “I will bless you and your household, and you will be a blessing…. And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'”
And perhaps, it is the very heart of the Gospel itself. God did not bless Abraham so that he could sit on a mountain of wealth and security and say, “Look how much God loves me!” The blessing was never meant to stop with him.
Think of it this way: God does not want us to be a cul-de-sac or no-through road, where His blessings drive in and get stuck. God wants us to be a conduit—a pipeline—where His grace and blessing flow through you to others, and hopefully to the rest of the world.
We live in a culture that tells us to gather blessings for ourselves: more comfort, more success, more security. But in God’s economy, giving is more blessed than receiving. And in God’s kingdom, we are blessed to be a blessing to others.
Here is another crucial truth. What motivated Abraham to follow God’s command to leave everything behind? Hebrews 11 summarises it in a single word: ‘Faith.’ It tells us: “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, and certain of the things we cannot see. It was by their faith that people of ancient times won God’s approval.”
The thing is, the world relies on science, logic, and even common sense to define its narrative, yet we rely on faith to navigate our stories. This tension often confuses or discourages us. It feels like we are walking in one direction while the rest of the world walks another. It’s a lonely and even risky journey for us.
But consider this:
- In 1903, prominent physicists declared that humans cannot fly.
- In 1957, leading space scientists claimed that humans cannot go to space.
- In 1990, biologists insisted that we cannot read the human genome.
However, here is one pattern that history shows again and again. Right before every major breakthrough, the skeptics appeared to be right. Even just before the Wright brothers took flight, prominent physicists wrote that flight for objects heavier than air was physically impossible.
Friends in Christ! Every major breakthrough in your faith journey is the result of your simple faith. Yet, in all the ‘in-between’ moments, the cold, hard logic of the world often seems more convincing.
Remember, faith is not just a Sunday topic or a subject for Bible study only. Your faith is meant to define who you are and dictate what you do. Hebrews 11 states it clearly: “No one can please God without faith. Whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him.”
Friends, have faith that God rewards and blesses you. Have faith that His blessing will flow through you to others. Again, be blessed to be a blessing in everything you do, in everything you have, and in everything you are. Amen.
