And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you, And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3
A friend recently wrote to me and said "you will never know what a blessing you have been to me and my family". I humbly assure you, through forty years of ministry, including some surprising accomplishments, it is these words that give me the greatest satisfaction because they stamp the imprimatur of God's faithful presence over it all.
We live in a country of "safe spaces". Our colleges and universities are now designed in a way that nobody has to be exposed to information or experiences that make them uncomfortable. Our tax system in America allows us to stay in the safety and comfort of our parents' home until we are 26 years old and they can continue to claim us as dependents. I suppose the thought is...we want to protect young people from pain and discomfort so they can grow and learn without struggle. Unfortunately, the very definition of growth implies struggle. So, we are in fact accomplishing the perfect opposite. We are teaching our youth that life doesn't have to be difficult...and doesn't have a destination. We are ensuring they never embark on a journey. And, in the process, we are ensuring they never amount to anything or accomplish anything great...
A destination is always preceded by a journey...
Abram was a great man...who accomplished great things. Keil/Delitzsch tells us...The Call. - The word of Jehovah, by which Abram was called, contained a command and a promise. Abram was to leave everything - his country, his family and his home - and to follow the Lord into the land which He would show him. He was to trust entirely to the guidance of God, and to follow wherever He might lead him. But as he went in consequence of this divine summons into the land of Canaan - the Lord gave him the inconceivably great promise, "I will make of you a great nation; and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing." Abram was not only to receive blessing, but to be a blessing; not only to be blessed by God, but to become a blessing, or the medium of blessing, to others.
Blessing...בְּרָכָה...from barak; (benediction), implies prosperity. Here are a few examples...
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Psalms 121:7, 8
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
God shall supply all you need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Philippians 4:19,20
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20,21
Prosperity, yes...wealth, perhaps.
More to the point...imagine what it would be like to utter any of these words to a friend and be certain God would fulfill them. That would constitute true greatness. And...most of us want to make a difference. We want to have influence. Unfortunately, most of us don't want to do what it takes to be "change makers".
It's a difficult path but it always has a destination...
The path may not be, precisely, Abram's path but the path to greatness always involves following God obediently. The physical journey may be incidental. God may simply lead you to the next city or the next block. Yet...it is the act of following that accrues the blessings. And, the first step into the unknown is frightening. Ask anybody who has left for basic training, or university, or marriage.
We can follow fame, or wealth, or power but these are only distractions. That is not following God. We will achieve them and realize we have achieved nothing. God wants to bless us by making us a blessing to others...and may give us these things in our pursuit of Him...so we might use them to bless others. Only the relentless pursuit of God, Himself, infers a promise of the kind of greatness that calls down the power and presence of God into the lives of others. But...we must take that first step, wherever it leads.
Live boldly out there today...
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