Read Genesis 12:1–2

When God calls a servant, there is little room for negotiation. The most striking example of this is when God spoke to Abram, lifting him from obscurity and setting him on a course that would change human history.

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. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous. (Genesis 12:1-2)

God’s promise to Abram was nothing short of remarkable. Perhaps Abram was intrigued by the thought of greatness and fame. But most likely, he and his wife heard nothing past the words “leave your home and your family and I’ll fill in the details later.” (Let’s call that a Swindoll paraphrase!)

We live such earthbound lives, enjoying and even fostering the notion of safety and security that when change is before us, everything in us resists. That’s especially true when God calls us to such an extensive change of location and lifestyle.

Yet God has promised to bless us when we fully devote our lives to following Him and obeying His will.

Is there something God is calling you to do that you are resisting because it requires leaving people with whom you have grown comfortable? Has He asked you to change careers or realign your priorities so you can more effectively serve Him? Are your children and family struggling with that call on your life too?

My encouragement is that you bring all of that to Him! Ask Him to minister to your children, to your relatives, and those closest to you. To work in their hearts in such a way that they would find following the Lord’s leading a pleasure and not a chore. Rather than trying to convince them, pray for them. As you pray, He will do the convincing.

Over time, you (and they) will see His faithfulness revealed and experience His blessings. You may not become “rich and famous,” but many people will be richly blessed through you. If you’re willing to go with God, He won’t let you lose your way.

Devotional content taken from Good Morning, Lord...Can We Talk? by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2018. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.