So Abram Left

"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.

'I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.'

So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.  Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran."  Genesis 12:1-4

Most of you are very familiar with this story.  Abram, who would later be called Abraham, was told by God to leave his home in the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia to go to a more desert-like land he had never even seen.  Abram, with heavenly promise in hand, packed up and went.  Or did he?

The Bible doesn't tell us how much time lapsed between verse 1 and verse 4.  Between God's call for Abram to "Leave your country" and the words "So Abram left" how much time past?  Maybe God spoke and Abram shot up instantly and said, "Sarai, Lot, pack up we're going to go to a land God will show us!"  That may have been how the scene went down, but I have a hard time stomaching that.

I'd be willing to bet (although I can't prove it) that Abram was tentative on leaving.  Perhaps, Abram wrestled with this decision for weeks, months or years.  Maybe, he didn't pop out of his chair and start packing.

In Hebrews 11 Abram/Abraham is credited for his faith.  I'm not sure that faith is always popping out of your chair and jumping right to the task.  Rather, I think faith is often eventually submitting to God's will.  I have to believe that is what happened to Abram.  In fact, Abraham would screw up God's promise by trying to help God out when He was being "slow".  Even considering this Abraham is credited for his faith.

I write this not to encourage you to resist God longer.  Instead, I write this to encourage you that it's never to late to submit to God's call.  If God has been calling you to serve or move jobs or get out of your comfort zone and you have resisted, it's not too late to follow God and be credited for your faith.

It's not too late.  Exercise your faith.  Do what God has been urging you to do today.