Today’s 333 Devotional: “The Settled Life”

While reading the story of Abraham’s journey from the land of Ur to Canaan, it records that for a while his family and relatives settled in the town of Haran.

“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.” (Genesis 11:31)

What I see is that God doesn’t want us to settle for less than His calling, no matter how young or old we may be.

God’s call was for Abraham and his family to go to Canaan, but halfway to their destination they stopped, or settled for Haran, a place known to them, while Canaan was unknown. Further, Abraham could count on plenty of support and help in Haran, because it was a place where the majority of his family and relatives lived.

God’s call upon our lives isn’t for the settled life, even though in our flesh this is what we want. Instead, God calls us to leave the known and journey with Him into the unknown, that is, into His land, that is, His calling and ministry that He will reveal to us.

Jesus said it like this, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)

As I was also reading the prophet Hosea, what caught my attention is that being satisfied isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

Through Hosea, the Lord said, “As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, and being satisfied, their heart became proud; therefore they forgot Me.” (Hosea 13:6)

They became satisfied with what they had, forgetting that it was the Lord God who saved and provided for them. God, therefore, brought judgment upon them (Hosea 13:7-9).

This story tells us we have to stop being settled and satisfied with second best, or anything less than the best, and start moving into the land and calling of God.