Leave!

Severally we have sung and claimed the blessings of Abram but very few ponder on the journey of obedience that brought such favor upon Abram’s life. Very few even embark on that same journey as he did; yet we all lay claim to this blessing. Abram in obedience to the Lord left his country, relatives and his father’s household and was made a great nation. Do you want this blessing? It is not in singing and claiming; it is in action! This blessing is tied to the call the Lord has given you. When Abram left in obedience, he became a great nation such that the whole earth till date is blessed through him. Genesis 12:1 states “Now [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” Several of us have heard God speak to us expressly in this manner and we are yet to obey. The version above says it is to our advantage if we leave all that He is asking us to leave. Let us take a look at what we are to leave behind. The call to leave your country is the first and most important part of obeying God’s call upon your life. When the Lord calls a man out of his country, he is being called out of his state of birth: out of flesh and sin to become a citizen of heaven – a spirit being. To leave one’s country in this context is to leave sin, self and its paraphernalia because He that called you out cannot go with you if you do not leave all country life behind! We are to leave our relatives behind. Relatives here mean associations, relationships and alliances that negate God in our life. Psalm 1:1 says “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” Jesus Christ, when told that His mother and brothers were standing outside to see Him, he replied that whoever does the will of His Father in Heaven is His brother, sister and mother. Did you notice that they came and stood outside expecting the Master to stop what He was doing to attend to them? Thus, alliances, relationships and associations that require you to stop your walk with Jesus Christ in order to attend to them are your relatives and you must leave them!  Friend, they are yours and will continue to remain yours as long as you do not leave them. As you ponder on all above, God is yet asking you: have you left your father’s household, or are you still under its control? If you are still in the country that God had asked you to leave (sin, reckless living, flesh) then you are in your father’s household. Unfortunately, the father of such household is the devil! If you are still in your father’s household where lying, cheating and compromising are your brothers, sisters and cousins then it is impossible to get the blessing. Jacob had to give up his name (his relatives, household and country) to receive the blessing. Just as the Lord God declared to Abram in Genesis 12:2-3, God desires to bless this generation through you. If you remain in your country, your relatives and your father’s household then you are hindering this generation from being blessed through you. Stand up and leave! Your generation is waiting on you!!!