Get Thee Outby Jeff Robb

Reflection

Abram was seventy-five years old and settled in Haran. He had family, flocks and a familiar life. Then the LORD spoke.

Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee.

Notice what God did not tell him. He didn't give him a map. He didn't name the land. He said, a land that I will shew thee. Abram would find out where he was going by going. Hebrews puts it simply: he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Most of us would like the whole route before we take the first step. God usually gives one step at a time. That isn't because He's hiding things from us. It's because He wants us to walk with Him, not just with a plan.

Then come the promises. I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great. Count the times God says I will. He is the one doing the work. Abram's part was to trust and to go.

And there's a purpose in the blessing. thou shalt be a blessing. God never blesses us just so we can keep it. He blesses us so that it flows on to others.

The last line reaches further than Abram could have imagined. in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Paul tells us in Galatians that this was the gospel preached ahead of time. Through Abram's family would come Jesus Christ, and through Him people from every nation would be blessed. If you are a believer today, you are part of the fulfilment of a promise made to a man who packed up his tents and walked into the unknown.

The very next verse says, So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him. No arguing. No delay. He went.

God may not be asking you to move across the country. But He may be asking you to leave something behind: a habit, a comfort, a fear, a way of doing things. You don't need to see the whole road. You just need to know who is leading you.

Cross-references

Hebrews 11:8-10; Galatians 3:8-9; Genesis 15:5-6