Terah took his son Abram, and his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they settled there. The days of Terah were two hundred five years; and Terah died in Haran. (Genesis 11: 31, 32, NRSV, emphasis provided).
Gracious God, we come to You once again for direction. It is so easy for us to lose our way, if we are not guided by Your Holy Spirit. So please stay close to us, and help us to make it to our God-ordained destination. This is our heart’s desire, in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.
Yesterday I shared with you, what I believe, was one of the times that I settled down too soon, in my journey. Thanks to the mercies of God, I eventually arrived at my intended destination, and “claimed my mountain;” at a time when most people have climbed, claimed, and are now sitting, at the foot of their mountain, enjoying the view! Let us look at other ways how we can settle down too soon.
When we look with limitations, at ourselves, and our possibilities. I accompanied a group of ladies from the School of Religion, and some other guests to a Thai restaurant for lunch. Before leaving, I took one of the “fortune cookies” out of the basket. This is the thought I drew out of my cookie: “The only limits to the possibilities in your life tomorrow are the buts you use today.” I loved the thought at first sight! I have kept it in my wallet, so that I can see it every time I open it. Let us try to unpack this thought together, and see what lesson(s) we can learn from it.
For one thing, there are, “limitless possibilities” to what God can do for us, if we allow Him. The Word of God reads, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to [H]im” (Psalm 21: 1, NIV). God is not limited by any circumstances. He knows no wants. His cupboards are always full, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it” (Psalm 51: 12). Everything that we need, or will ever need, are to be found in Him. No child of His, need ever be destitute, “Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or his seed or their children begging for bread” (Psalm 37: 25).
This passage is one of my all-time favorites. It spells out with such eloquence the power and might of the Sovereign God, who you and I serve; ‘Whose” we are; ” ‘Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and the earth is Yours; Yours, is the kingdom O LORD, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all’ ” (1 Chronicles 29: 10-12, NRSV).
The only one who can keep me back, is me. All around us there are voices trying to get our attention. Voices that try to define us, by telling us who we are, according to their definition of us. But God has already defined us, He calls us sons and daughters, “Yet to all who received [H]im, to those who believed in [H]is name, [H]e gave the right to become children of God – . . .” That is the only name we have a right to answer to. And as children of God, we are priceless (1 Peter 1: 18, 19)! Never put limits on what you can accomplish by the grace of God, and, never forget who you are. These are two good ways to keep us from settling down before reaching our intended destination. May God help us, to take heed!