6.12.26
Hey, Calvary Fremont
There’s a thin line between walking in faith and being lost. Hebrews 11:8 tells us that the Lord told Abraham to leave his city and so he went out, not knowing where he was going. What Abraham teaches me is that faith doesn’t have to see the whole picture. You can see just a tiny part of the path and still walk in faith. Yet, what do we normally call ‘not knowing where you’re going’? Lost! Faith can look lost! But faith can say, “I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m not lost!”
Abraham leaves Ur of the Chaldees and pulls into an oasis with his caravan. We can imagine the following conversation between Oasis Man, Abraham, and Sarah.
OM: Hey, Abraham, where you going?
A: I don’t know.
OM: I see, it’s all hush-hush.
A: No, it’s not like that.
OM: So where ya’ goin’? You can tell me.
A: I don’t know where I’m going.
OM: Are you lost?
A: No, I’m not lost.
OM: Well, this road only leads to Haran, so you must be going there.
A: I don’t know. Hey Sarah, where are we going?
S: I don’t know. I’m following you – why are you asking me?
OM: Well, if you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?
A: That’s a good question. Hey Sarah, if we don’t know where we’re going, how will we know when we get there?
S: God will tell us.
A: Yes, God will tell us.
When I see Abraham in the middle of nowhere stop & scratch his head – I receive great comfort! Abraham didn’t have his 5-year plan or his 10-year plan, or even his 10-day plan – he had his day-by-day plan.
Numbers 9:18-23 tells us that Israel followed the Cloud that God gave to guide them through the wilderness. If the Cloud lingered for two days, or a month, or a year in one place – Israel would remain camped. When the Cloud was lifted, Israel would pack up and follow the Cloud. Israel didn’t have a 5-year plan or a 10-year plan, or even a 10-day plan – they had a Follow-the-Cloud plan.
But, someone suggests, it’s Best Practices to have a 5-year plan – all the businesses have their Multi-Year plans. Maybe so, but the Church is not a business trying to predict and navigate a volatile market. The Church is the Body of Christ. Whatever happens in the market and its various fluctuations does not affect the mission, mandate, and message of the Church.
Listen, it’s OK not to see the whole picture. The Father of our Faith demonstrates this.
Stay healthy and be blessed and follow Jesus – Pastor Tim
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