Daily Devotion

November 18, 2016

Refuse to settle


“They set out…to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.”  Ge 11:31 NIV

Are you pressing “on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [you]” (Php 3:14 NIV), or have you “settled” along the way? God made a pact with Abraham—one that continues to influence the modern world. A lesser-known fact is that years earlier Abraham’s father, Terah, “set out…to go to Canaan,” the land of abundance where God later called Abraham. But Terah never made it: “When they came to Haran, they settled there.” No question, it couldn’t have been easy traveling hundreds of miles across rough terrain with flocks, herds, children, and servants. Can you imagine the sheer logistics! Remember, there were no professional movers to pack and load your stuff! Finally Terah decided they couldn’t go any farther, so they settled where they were comfortable. One pastor adds: “I wonder how many times we do the same thing? We have a big dream…to excel in our careers…as parents…and in our walk with God. We get started, but things get difficult and achieving our goal doesn’t happen as quickly as we hoped. Perhaps similar to Abraham’s father we say, ‘Let’s just settle here. It’s not really what we wanted, but it’s good enough.’ Don’t fall into that trap. You were made for more than ‘good enough’…Don’t settle for a little love and joy, a bit of peace and contentment, or a small helping of happiness…Pull up stakes, pack your tents, get your belongings, and start moving forward. Enlarge your vision. You may have had a delay, but…you can begin again.”

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