Going Where God Asks You to Go

 

I have always admired the mobility of God’s people in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible.

When I was a younger woman, I considered moving to Europe to pursue a career as an opera singer. I had visited several countries during my College years and had become enamored of, first, the way Europeans treated me as a Black woman, and second, the sheer number of opportunities open to a singer. This desire was heightened when, in the 1980s, I started traveling back and forth to Switzerland and France to perform concertized versions of Porgy and Bess and then other works for solo soprano, chorus, and instruments. I felt Europe calling me, but each time, I answered “No.” I was the primary contact for my mom. I purchased a house and began a career in higher education teaching. The timing never seemed right to pick up and leave. Time and again, I made excuses and ruled it out, even though the call was clear.

In Genesis 12:1-3, God tells Abram to leave his country and the house of his father for a land he will be shown. Like me, Abram has a family to whom he is responsible, work,  and possessions. Unlike me, Abram has no idea where he is going. Abram had God’s commandment to leave and to go. Abram also had God’s promise that he would be blessed as he obeyed God’s command to leave. Abram chooses to obey God and to go wherever God is sending him. He and Sarai went. The outcome of Abram’s obedience is that he became the father of three major world religions: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

We, as humans, like to see and know everything. We learn as disciples to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2Corinthians 5:7).  Walking by faith requires:

• The realization and acceptance that we are incapable of seeing and knowing everything.
• The belief that God knows and sees everything.
• A decision to trust that since God is omniscient, a
• Leaning on God’s promise to be with us and bless us as we obey: “My presence will go with you…” “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you.” (Ex. 33:14; Deut. 31:8)

The point I am making regarding Abram is that when God calls you, choose to obey, regardless of whether you can see the path clearly or know the destination. Go because obeying God can never be wrong.

 

I encourage you to pray that you will be better able to hear God's voice. Fear will say to you, “Stay, this can’t be good.” Because of this, I pray that you will ask God to steady your heart and help you override your human reactions to change so that you can experience the joy and blessing that come with following God’s commands.

 

Epilogue: After years of traveling to Europe, Asia, and Africa for my performance career, I decided to stay in the United States. I moved on from the dream of being an opera singer on a world stage to being something even better. The mobility I experienced was inside of me. Instead of requiring me to travel physically, God required of me a spiritual, mental, and emotional journey that led me to Fridley UMC. And for that, I will be forever grateful. Thanks be to God.