V001 The Call of Abram

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. Genesis 12:1 (NLT)

The call to Depart – God spoke to Abram in his darkness and called him into His marvelous light that shone on a new path. Abram was called, and in doing so everything that had shaped his life to that point was to be left behind.

Everything he loved, needed to be left, and then to follow a call to a new land. He was to leave his home, his relatives, his region, his religion. He did not know where he was going or when he would arrive. He needed to trust all matters in the hands of the Lord.

Note: When we receive the call of God, it is a call for that person to sever all ties with the past life. As we enter into this new life, we have new priorities and a new Lord over our lives. The Lord’s call is for total commitment.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. (Matthew 16:24 NLT).

The call that the Lord gives, is for each believer to leave behind the old life, and to begin a new life of faith, where we no longer rely on our own ability, but rather put our confidence in His ability for our every need. That is the nature of the call. When God calls, it is for you to follow without concern about where you will end up.

He wants you to put your confidence in the fact that He will work out all the details, according to His purpose and plan. He is calling us into a life of surrender to His call, regardless of the cost, where it leads, or how much it hurts. The Lord’s call is still the same today … follow Me!

Question: Where are you at with giving up your own way?

“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I will show you how.” (Matthew 16:24 MSG)