The Call - jan 5

Genesis 12-14
Luke 5

Genesis 12:1 Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you."

Luke 5:11 ...they (Peter, James, and John) left everything and followed him.
Luke 5:28 ..and leaving everything, he (Matthew) rose and followed him.

God called one man Abram out of the land of Ur. He required that Abram leave everything and to follow Him into a land in which Abram was a stranger. In turn, God blessed Abram. It is important however, to note that God's blessings hinged upon Abram's obedience.

It's not so much that God was waiting for Abram to "get it right" in some sort of cosmic test of faith, rather, the blessings were specific to a time and place, and Abram needed to be there in order to receive the blessing.

I have heard speculation or perhaps even complaints as to why God chooses one man over another. What made Abram more special than every other man of his generation? It is entirely possible that Abram was not the only man with a call. It is certain that God has a plan and a purpose for every life that He has placed upon this earth. The question is then, what became of those that we never read about? What became of God's for their lives?

All too often God's perfect will for a life is frustrated by that very person's free will. Many times there are distractions, areas in a life that are that surrendered. These will hinder God's will until they are removed.

God made a promise to Abram that was dependent upon Abram leaving his country, his kindred, and his father's house. God does not peak again to Abram until Abram is obedient. For far too many, this level of obedience never comes and God's perfect will for their life lives is never realized.

When Jesus called His disciples, they left all to follow Him. Never do we read of an individual becoming a part-time disciple. Jesus required a full-time commitment. Jesus asked others to join Him, but they were distracted by things of this quickly fading earth. It's not so much that Jesus was testing them and casting them away for being flakes, it's just that in order to be Jesus' disciple we need to be where He is. Anything else is only keeping us from Him.

In our lives we need to ask ,what hinders us from following completely? Is there anything that we can't live without? Is Christ and Christ alone sufficient? Does He completely satisfy? If there remains anything else it will become a burden and a hindrance that most likely will serve someday as our downfall.

Is there anything that God has asked us to do, that we are currently neglecting? We cannot expect to hear anything new from the Lord until we have done those first things He has commanded us to do. He does not change His mind.

Father,
Teach me obedience. Let me be a disciple. Let nothing stand between me and you, preventing me from that place of being in your will.