GPS

Genesis 12: 1Now the Lord said to Abraham, “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you…”

God called Abraham out of the land of Chaldeans to a land that He will show him. Abraham who probably never heard of Yahweh, the Creator of everything, left his family, his gods, and went in search of the country that Almighty God was going to show him. Can you imagine firstly to hear the voice of God? Secondly, to leave everything he was familiar with and everyone he loved behind? Finally, to trust a strange God and walk in search of the unknown?

Abraham was already a wealthy man when he left his father’s household and moved to Canaan. He, his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot and a large caravan of servants and cattle moved out of Chaldea. Yet to leave everything and follow a voice requires a lot of courage and trust. Imagine the ridicule he could have faced when he announced he heard a voice from heaven! The Book of Hebrews says that by faith Abraham left Ur and went where God called him. His act of obedience has been credited to him as righteousness.

Back in the day, when they didn’t have maps, they probably followed a trade route or a well-trodden path. Traveling in large caravans on unknown roads would have given them some sense of safety from marauders. Abraham, however relied on GPS – not Global Positioning System but God Positioning System. Wherever God led him, he went there. He parked where God asked him to park. He turned where God asked him to turn. As long as Abraham relied on GPS, he was safe, well taken care of and made progress.

After several days of journeying through strange lands, Abraham and his caravan reached the land of Canaan. God appeared to him in Canaan and said that He will give this land to Abraham’s descendants. Abraham now realized that he arrived at his destination. He built an altar to worship the Lord and pitched his tents in between Bethel and Ai. After staying there for a while, famine struck the land. Instead of trusting his GPS, he packed up his tents and went south to Egypt. He must have reasoned that Bethel is not the place to settle if there is famine in the land. Since he didn’t hear God’s voice, he had to take matters into his own hands. He had to lie to save his skin in Egypt. It took a heathen Pharaoh to correct Abraham of his lie. Abraham realizing his mistake returned to Bethel. He strayed from GPS again much later in his life despite seeing God’s handiwork, when he lied to King Abimelech. Despite his straying from the GPS, God appeared to Abraham several more times to assure him of His promise.

As believers in Christ, we all have a special calling from God. When we harken to His voice and in obedience do His bidding, all goes well. We will be blessed, protected and provided. When we stray from the GPS, that is when we land ourselves in trouble. When we question God’s call or His provision, that is when we take matters into our own hands. We try to carve our own path or search for greener pastures and hope that is what God wants us to do. We expect God to fulfill our dreams even though a nagging feeling bothers us. When we stick to the GPS, there is neither second guessing nor there is confusion. With confidence, we march on.

Dear Saints of God, hold on to your GPS. He is forever faithful and true. He never disappoints us. Even though you are going through wilderness, when the horizon seems bleak, God is walking ahead of you – clearing the path, behind you – protecting you from the enemies/threats of the past, and beside you – assuring you of His promises. He is a loyal leader who leads His sheep to greener pastures and running waters. Don’t get discouraged when traveling through the desert. Don’t get distracted by the mirages of life. They will disappoint you. Instead trust in the GPS that is within you – His Holy Spirit to lead you through this life until we reach the Eternal City. Just like Abraham who was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11: 10), let us remain faithful to God. Let us remain steadfast to the path that God has put us on until Christ returns for us to take us to that Eternal City or beckons us to our Eternal Home.