Day 12: Two Commands: Go & Listen

   

March 3

by Michael Lovett

Readings:

Gen 12:1-4a

Matt 17:1-9

Reflection:

To watch the video that goes with this devotional, click HERE

Genesis is easy to read, seems straightforward enough, and is almost sneaky in how loaded with meaning it is.  Abraham, solo, heard/sensed a message from God and left his native culture and lands.  No one else heard God.  He likely had to say goodbye and explain what was happening.  Families stayed very near each other, and he was breaking tradition.  It's easy to read, "God told Abraham to leave, and he did." It's quite another thing to visualize letting all familiar things go and our whole network merely because we think God told us to.

Keep in mind that this meant no neighbors to borrow from, almost no trusting relationships, no family connections to rely on.  And there was no end in sight for the adventure. This was a permanent move. He brought one nephew, Lot, and his family. Oh, yes, and Abraham was seventy-five years old!

He believed God, then acted like it.  Everything aligned to his belief.  There's the punch.  He truly believed God would do what God said he would.  Do we?

Seriously, do we believe? How deeply do we believe promises like, 

"I will be with you," 

"If you obey, it will go well with you," 

"My word will accomplish what I desire, just like snow falling and watering the ground."

"God works all things for the good of those who love him,"

Jesus saying, "Surely I will be with you until the end of the age"

Abraham was an ordinary man who took a big risk, failed along the way, and yet he stuck to his commitment to God.  And it paid off, big time. His promise led directly to Jesus, and Jesus's life, death, and resurrection is the axis of our faith.  Abraham is a key character in the story of God being our hero.

In Matthew 17, Jesus is alive and well, brings his friends up a mountain, and he is transfigured, and all four of them hear God's voice, as Abraham did, so many years ago.  This time, the message is not "go", it is "This is my son, listen to him."

The message to Abraham was a commission.

The message on the mountain with Jesus and his 3 disciples was a validation and prediction ("...until the Son of Man is raised from the dead").

Matthew is practically yelling to us, "Jesus is the real deal!"  He is the Jew of Jews, the fulfillment of all we've been waiting for, on par with the biggest names in the story so far, and he must be obeyed, heeded, listened to, respected.

Sit with gratitude for the way God enters into agreements (The Bible calls them covenants) with us.  It's incredible!  

Sit with the question, and pray something like, "God, please offer me both commission to go do what you will, but also validation for who I am, as you did for Jesus, and ears to hear/obey Jesus.  Help me hear and follow you."  Maybe set another alarm on your phone to pray the Lord's prayer at another time today.

Song:

Covenant Hymn, Rory Cooney, Gary Daigle

Content for wisdom and contentment at: urenuf.life