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Devotional

The Courage of Leaving Familiar Places

by COLETTE CORREA COURAGE Culture shock Finding community Culture adjustment Trust Hearing God & Understanding His Will Fear
The Courage of Leaving Familiar Places
Genesis 12

Over the years, I have loved traveling and discovering new places and new faces, then returning home to share my experiences. I have easily been persuaded that the best gift one can give themselves is to travel and discover the world. When I felt the convicting call from God to move to the Middle East for an undetermined time, however, I wondered what that new chapter of my life would be like. What was awaiting me there? How would I be received by the people? How long would I be remaining? Those were questions I did not have answers to, but the call was so compelling that my only option was to go.


Little is known of the day and the hour when God first approached Abram (later called Abraham), but the record we have of their first encounter is that when God spoke to Abram it left an indelible impression on him. God told him to leave Harran—the land of his ancestors—and go to the land He would show him. He promised to make him into a great nation and bless him in great ways.


Abram notified his wife Sarai, packed all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, said their goodbyes, and left for the land of Canaan. Abram was a childless 75-year-old man when he was called by God. His chances of being the patriarch of a nation appeared to be very slim, but even though he did not know where he was going, how God would make all that he promised happen, with great courage Abram stepped out in faith. Later, as we read in Scripture, God made Abraham the father of a great many nations and made his name great.


What is God calling you to leave behind? Are you hearing God calling you to leave the familiar for the unfamiliar? Are you afraid or anxious? It’s normal that those emotions are part of our human experience, but just remember that courage is not the absence of fear or anxiety but the choice and willingness to face those obstacles and still press through it by faith.


Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the call You have on my life. I know that the plans You have for me are good and for my good. I pray that even when I face difficult decisions in which I experience fear and anxiety I would press through courageously. I read through the passages of Scriptures how faithful You were in fulfilling Your promises to so many. Help me to trust You with all my heart and to not lean unto my own understanding but in all my ways acknowledge so You may direct my paths. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Resources
Sermon: The Courage to Face Difficult Tasks by Charles Stanley This sermon is a helpful resource for finding courage in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Question for Reflection

Is there a decision you had to make lately that required courage?

Comments
Colette Correa
October 13, 2021

When the world was shaken by the horrific death of George Floyd, shortly after that tragic event, I decided to be vocal and talk about the grief and sorrow that I felt at the time. His tragic death was a catalyst for a lot of people of color, including myself, in not only sharing the grief I felt but some of the racism I had experienced before. While it might be an easy task for some to speak up, it took courage on my part, as I was facing the fear of being misunderstood or rejected by others who are not familiar with the sting of racism.