Follow Me To A Place I Will Show You

Follow Me to a Place I Will Show You

It was no comfortable call that God gave to Abram. And the reality that Abram was a pagan idol worshiper when God called him (Joshua 24:2) makes his willingness to follow God’s costly call all the more stunning—and more clearly a work of irresistible grace. “The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you’” (Genesis 12:1).

The writer of Hebrews wrote that Abram “went without knowing where he was going” (11:8). God called Abram to follow his voice into the unknown. This required a supreme act of faith and trust.

If the Jews in Jesus’ day had really considered how the life of faith began for their father Abraham, they should have recognized a familiar voice in the call of Christ. Jesus bid his followers to give up control, predictability, ease, comfort, familiarity, and autonomy to follow him. Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it” (Matthew 16:24-25). He was up-front about what following his call would cost: “You will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers” (Matthew 24:9).

But Jesus also made a promise to those who will leave everything to follow him:

“I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:28-29)

Lord, I want to live by faith, and I know that means I cannot always demand to know where and what and when and how in advance. How I long to be quick to follow you, willing to go anywhere and do anything in pursuit of being a part of your saving purposes in this world.