Finding, Obeying, and Staying in the Place of God’s Will

Today’s Passage – Genesis 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 7 – 8Proverbs 4Psalms 16 – 20)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1

Read the 0104 Evening and Morning devotion for today by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Don’t Move Unless God Moves You“ and The Beginning of Globalism; “The Land Belongs to Israel.”

“31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. 32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.” (Genesis 11:31-32)

There is so much that we can discuss from today’s reading and I would encourage you to look at the previous posts linked above to examine more deeply some of the highlights. My thought for today, however surrounds the call of Abraham and his willingness and reluctance to follow the will of God. Abraham was human just like we are and he struggled with obeying God immediately and completely just like we do.

In Genesis 11:31 – 32, we see that Abraham’s father Terah took Abraham and his wife Sarah, and his grandson Lot, from Ur of the Chaldees and brings them into Haran. [Note – Here Abraham is called “Abram,” and Sarah is called “Sarai.” There names will be changed by God later in Genesis (Genesis 17:5; 17:15).]

After Terah dies, Abraham will then take Sarah and Lot and travel into the land of Canaan.

When we compare the Genesis account with what is recorded about the same event in the New Testament, we learn that Abraham was called by God when he was still living in Ur of the Chaldees to get away from his kindred (his family) and go into Canaan. He was supposed to leave his family behind and follow the will of God. We don’t know much about Terah, but it is evident from Joshua 24:2 that he served other gods. Instead, Abraham travels with his father and nephew, and then does not actually complete the journey all the way to Canaan until after his father had died.

“2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. 4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. 5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.” (Acts 7:2-5)

I may be speculating here just a little but it is very possible that Abraham hesitated to obey God until his father was out of the way. Jesus said:

“37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37)

Most of us understand what is like to be pressured by family. Most of the time our families want the very best for us and would want us to follow God wherever that leads. However, there are times that the will of God will lead us away from family or away from where our family would want us to go, or possibly away from what our family would want us to do. In times like that, we must be willing to follow God’s will even if it upsets those that we love.

Abraham would later struggle with this same issue again, this time regarding his own son Isaac. We will read about this and likely discuss it in greater detail when we get to Genesis 22, but for now I will point out that God will put Abraham to the ultimate test and ask him to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mt. Moriah. God wanted to see if Abraham loved God more than the son that God had given him.

Abraham also struggled remaining in the place of God’s will after he arrived in the land of Canaan. Once Abraham finally gets to the place of God’s will, he leaves because of a famine. You would think that if God told him that Canaan was the place where Abraham should go, that he would stay there and trust God to take care of him even during a time of famine.

“7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. 8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. 10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.” (Genesis 12:7-10)

Personally, I was called by the Lord to come to Galloway, NJ to be the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church. I know that this is the place of God’s will for me because He made it crystal clear where He wanted me to go before I came. I would be foolish to go against the will of God and leave this place. There have been times when my flesh wanted to go to some “greener pasture” elsewhere, but this is where God wants me.

Christian, the safest place for you to be is inside the will of God. Once you discover the place of God’s will for your life, get there quickly and don’t move until you are absolutely sure that God is moving you. Too many of God’s people never find the place of God’s will in the first place because they are too unwilling to leave their comfort zones. And then even when they find the place of God’s choosing, they run from it when their flesh or some trial pulls them away. Find the place that God wants you to go; stay where God places you; bloom where you are planted; and finish your course.


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Bob Fenton
Bob Fenton
1 year ago

Amen Pastor. My Wife Jane and I have been coming to Jersey Shore for about 11 years. We looked at many churches in the area and we chose to make Jersey Shore our home church. It wasn’t by our choosing but by God’s choosing where He leads us we shall follow. Like the post.

Terra Anne Mathis
Terra Anne Mathis
1 year ago

God’s will is not always easy or something I like. However, God has shown me that I am safest there. I still struggle with trust issues but I remember what I was protected from by staying in God’s will.

Cindy E.
Cindy E.
1 year ago

I do remember when we were pressured by family especially during holidays. But, because we stayed faithful they soon realized that we were not backing down with living for Christ. So, we should try to always stand for the Lord and stay faithful. Who nows, your faithfulness may even lead others to Christ.

Gary Geiger
Gary Geiger
1 year ago

Amen

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