Genesis 11:31-32 - Using the "useless"
Scripture:
Genesis 11:31-32
31 Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson,
and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went out
together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan;
and they went as far as Haran, and settled there.
32 The days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in
Haran.
NASU
Thoughts:
I would dare to say that for most of us, we sometimes think that God
will not work in and through our lives because of our imperfections.
We feel useless. We fantasize in our minds that others are so much
more worthy in the hands of God, than we are.
But all the way back at the start of the Bible, here in Genesis, we
find that this is not so. We've already seen Noah's failure (Genesis
9:21-23). Now Abram too, is getting off to a rocky start. It is
not clear from this text, but the New Testament informs us that before
this tribal move, God had told Abram to move alone:
Acts 7:2-3
2 And he said, "Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory
appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he
lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, 'LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR
RELATIVES, AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.'
NASU
And yet, rather than go alone, Abraham's entire clan moved to Haran.
This is the 1st of many times in Abram's life that he doesn't get it
quite right. He doesn't completely trust the Lord and devises his own
plan. And yet, despite these failures, God continues to use him and
even celebrates Abram (Abraham) as a man of faith.
Prayer:
Lord, I don't want to fail as I seek to do Your will, but I am so
encouraged that failure and imperfection does not disqualify me from
usefulness to You. You are amazing in Your patience! Help me not to
stumble today, but to walk in Your will.
Amen