Dealing With Life's Uncertainties Part Two

Continued from Previous Post: Part One

1: We Don't Need To Know All The Details

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went (Hebrews 11:8).

We can fully understand the uncertainty in this text if we trace the original Scripture Hebrews 11:8 is making reference to.

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee" (Genesis 12:1).

Some bible scholars have indicated that Genesis 12:1 was the second call for Abraham to leave his family. The first call is not recorded in the Old Testament, but Stephen's defense in Acts 7:2 records this silent Old Testament event: "And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran". The phrase “before he dwelt in Charran“ presents us with two time periods: Time in Mesopotamia and time in Charran. Charran, according to John Gill in his bible exposition , is the same name recorded as Haran in Genesis 11:32 where Abraham and his family lived before the second call in Genesis 12:1.

If we are to go with the assertion of a second call; which I believe, because Acts 7:2 gives it credence, the question I want to ask is, "why didn't Abraham heed to the first call in Mesopotamia". There could be many reasons. The comfort of a family home( Abraham was still living with his family) is highly plausible. I also believe that, uncertainty; not knowing what the future held in this call of God was the main reason Abraham didn't heed to the first call. Note that, Abraham came from a pagan family, so to begin with, a call from a personal God would have thrown his thinking into mayhem. He would have been marking time to be certain all this call of God is not a mind game.

Let's examine the nature of Abraham's call in Genesis 12:1

"Get out... unto a land that I will shew thee ..."

...Those words in my limited human mind are not convincing enough to take a journey with. There was not much detail given to Abraham. He set off in anticipation of "a place which he should after receive for an inheritance". He set off on only a promise. The normal thinking to me is that, at least, God should have spelt out a clear plan for Abraham to follow. However, God provided Abraham with no road map. He just commanded: "Get...out...." The future is uncertain, it comes with no details. Irrespective of what plans we have for the future, we must learn to take one day at a time. James properly captured this in James 4:13-15:

Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Check the last verse again: “... If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.“ That is enough ammunition to clear uncertainty. Once God has willed whatever you believe He has called you to do, it shall come to pass. Don't get bogged down in the details. Just believe; have faith and trust God to do in your life what He says He will do. I think you should hear this also: 

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew 6:34).