Do You Trust Me?

Read Genesis 12:1–14:24

1. 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.
2. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.
3. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
4. So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
5. He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan,
6. Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. Genesis 12:1-6

No close relationship can function without trust. Like a huge diamond, hope is the largest, most precious, most irreplaceable component of every relationship. It is so difficult to get and yet so easy to lose.

This passage opens with one of the most significant events in the Bible—Abram receiving God’s call. Abram’s calling established the covenant (or agreement) by which God created the nation of Israel, his chosen people. Abram’s move to Canaan and the challenges he faced living there with his nephew Lot stretched his faith the way life’s challenges often stretch ours. With this calling God posed the question to Abram: Do you trust me?

This story also includes lessons about selfishness; generosity; helping out family; taking risks; and honoring God.

God promised to bless Abram and to make him great. There was one condition to this promise, however: Abram had to do what God wanted him to do (Genesis 12:2). This meant leaving his home and friends and traveling to a new land, where God promised to build a great nation from Abram’s family. Abram obeyed, walking away from his home, his comfort zone, accepting God’s promise of even greater blessings in the future. Abram believed God, and he demonstrated his trust through his actions.

It’s difficult to step out in faith. We know the past and can feel secure in the present. The future, though, is unknown and risky. But when God leads, we can follow, confident that his way is best.

As you read this passage, watch Abram live by faith. And think of where God may be trying to lead you to better serve him. Don’t let the comfort and security of your present position make you miss God’s plan for you. Be flexible and willing to change.