21 DAYS: DAY FIVE "WHERE YOU HAVEN'T BEEN"

DAY FIVE – January 9

Daily Reading: Gen 11:22-12:20; Mat 5:1-16

Memory Verse: Now the Lord said^a to Abram, “Go from your country^b and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”Genesis 12:1 ESV

I've taken a trip or two with a gang going to the same place. We used to call them convoys, I’m not sure they still do. It’s where one vehicle leads the way who knows the way. Your job? To follow the lead car. Maybe like me, you’ve done that. You’re following that white mini-van, then while driving and talking you lose sight of it. Or maybe you passed it up and didn’t realize it. What’s the solution? Find another white mini-van and follow. No. You need to find the RIGHT white mini-van and follow.

There’s a reason they call Abraham the man of faith. God calls him to leave extended family, his homeplace, and go to points unknown. The added detail? He’s 75. It’s one thing to do that at 17. It’s quite another at 75. But Abram does it. And the rest is a remarkable adventure of faith, doubt, conquest and victory and a legacy that continues in the nation of Israel today. But it began with a decision to let God lead him to “the land that I will show you.”

I know you’d like to know the outcome of some decision to obey God or maybe what your future looks like. But that’s not the way faith works. Faith works like this, ‘Follow God and let Him show you what He wants to show you.’

During this 21 Days of Prayer, I’m hoping you will join me in following God to the land that He will show you. There are places we haven’t been that He wants to take us. There are sights you haven’t seen, things you haven’t heard…yet. And the only way you will get there is to leave status quo and let Him lead.

Prayer: Father, you have an adventure before me. There are times I pause because I fear the outcome. But You are good and where You lead us is good. You are my Shepherd. Lead me beside still waters and restore my soul. Lead me in the paths of righteousness for your cause, for Your glory.

For further reflection: In Matthew 5, we read the familiar Beatitudes. Are these commandments for a happy life?

Books have been written on these verses which come from the most famous sermon Jesus ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount. Here, Jesus begins with the oft-quoted blessings that follow certain people: “Blessed are the poor in spirit…blessed are those who mourn…” Many books make claims like these, “Nine Steps to the Happy Life.” Since there are nine beatitudes, is that what Jesus is saying?

Remember that Jesus is a Rabbi. His purpose is not to abolish the Old Testament (c.f. Mat 5:17) but to bring clarity to it. Some have wrongly suggested that these are Jesus’ New Ten commandments, thinking, “He’s doing away with the Old Ten Commandments and now giving you a set of new ones.” But if that’s what is happening here, it doesn’t sound like good news to me. It sounds like this, “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted” so try harder to cry more so you can be comforted by God. Wow. No thanks.

Rather, what Jesus is saying is this, “When you embrace my kingdom, my way of living, you will discover a blessing even when life hurts. When you mourn, you will find a comfort that comes from God that is unlike any other.”

Blessed are the merciful? “When you embrace my teaching, my way of being, you will find a mercy that is beyond yourself. And as it overflows your heart and reaches others, mercy will come back to you from Me, through others.”

These are promises available for Jesus’ people. Not for all people everywhere. And it can only happen by fully embracing the Jesus’ way of living, the new kingdom.