THE THREE S'S

Genesis 12:1, 4-The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. . ." So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. (NIV)

I recently learned that I was going to be required to move from Oregon to Texas for work. My job was being eliminated in the Pacific Northwest, and so I got a call from the Army Reserve offering me a simple choice-take this new job in Texas or be on your own. While I don't pretend to be anywhere near the level of Abram at the time God called him, I think I understand something of how he felt. Here he was, a well-respected member of the local populace, probably pretty well connected with a number of friends, and God called him away, and to a very specific place-"...the land I will show you." This is not unlike the situation in which I find myself. I've lived in Oregon for very nearly 9 years, having moved up from California. This is my home now. It's where most of my closest friends this side of Heaven live and work, and where I always thought I'd be forever, but it seems that God has other plans for me.

How do you suppose Abram dealt with God's requirement to get up and go, and right now? I think that Abram's reaction was something like mine. I bet he was dealing with the "3 Ss" of relocation. First, I think he was Surprised. How often in our lives does God's call to something new come right out of the blue (or so it seems)? As I reflect on my walk with God, as I've matured and been more open to being used by Him, I am constantly surprised by the directions God takes me. When I moved to Oregon, I'd come out of a long experience in youth ministry in California, and I told God as much as myself that youth ministry was the LAST place I was going to end up in my new home. How surprised do you think I was when, less than 12 months later I found myself deeply involved in youth ministry here in Hillsboro? I think Abram was Surprised.

Second, I think Abram was Scared. After all, here God was telling him to set off with not much of a clue where he was going. He was called to leave everyone and everything he knew and follow wherever it was that God would lead. No matter how strong a man Abram was, the idea of leaving behind everything he knew had to cause him some serious fear. Yet, God knew that having Abram undergo that trial was essential to the development of the man he would become, and the same is true with us. Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, the famous World War I flying ace said, "Courage is doing that which you are otherwise afraid to do. There can be no courage without fear." I think as well, that there can be no trust in God without fear. Unless we allow ourselves to be challenged beyond our capacity to endure, or we are forced to face those things we fear, there is little hope of victory. John addresses this in his gospel when he opines that a life filled with fear is a life not fully formed in love, and God wants to form us in love.

Finally, I think Abram was Strengthened. He was strengthened by God's promise to make him into a great nation, to bless him, make his name great and make him a blessing to all peoples. Abram certainly knew that God was (and is!) a God of His word and so was able to take Him at His word and draw strength from the clear promise and purpose God had for his life. We need to remind ourselves sometimes that God has a purpose for us as well. He may not choose to speak directly to us as He did with Abram, but He has a purpose for us nonetheless. Our part is to trust God and surrender to His purpose. How does God speak to us directly today? Through His word in the Holy Scripture! We are able to take a small peek into the mind of God and if we pay attention, we begin to see the promise God has for us and for our lives. A promise MUCH greater than anything we could ever purpose or imagine. He CHOSE us from among all the peoples on the earth to be with Him forever in His kingdom, not because of anything we'd done to deserve it, but rather as a result of His passionate love for us. THAT is the message of the Scripture-it's the story of God's relentless pursuit of us, and we should be greatly strengthened by that pursuit.

So then, when God stretches us we too will be surprised by the direction He leads us, scared as we move into the unknown or stretched beyond our comfort zone and strengthened as we reflect on God's sure promise to pursue us to our salvation. This is why James was able to confidently declare that we should "consider it "PURE JOY" (emphasis mine) when we face trials of many kinds. We can be joyful in uncertainty and change as we remember that God is in charge. Praise God!