A Long Walk

“I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.” Genesis 17:1b

Abram had lived a life of worshiping many gods. This was his heritage, passed to him by his birth family. The first recorded words we have that changed everything for him are found in Genesis 12:1, when the Lord told Abram, “Get out of your country, from your family, and from your fatherʼs house, to a land that I will show you.” This sounds like a very long walk to me. In effect, God is saying, “Leave everything you know and love. Iʼll let you know when you get where youʼre going.”

Abram was 75 years old when God spoke these words to him (Genesis 12:4), and he obeyed immediately. “So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him.” When Abram was 99 years old, God spoke the words, “Walk before Me and be blameless.”

The words of Genesis 17:1 were uttered by God Himself to Abram. “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.” With careful reading, we see that 24 years earlier, God had told Abram to start walking (“Get out”); then when he was 99, God  told Abram his position while walking (“before Me”), and told him how to walk (blamelessly), but not where to walk. Abram is not told where to go, nor where he will end up. Remember, he is 99 years old!

Promises were given along the way. He experienced famines. Lost family. Gained lands. Had a son. Had another son. Had to give up a son. Almost had to kill a son. Had more sons later on.

Life can seem a very long walk at times, canʼt it? We wonder if we will ever come to the end of crushing grief, of burning shame, of endless drudgery. We feel that we never will enter the promises, that God will never use us, that life will always be hard. Itʼs all just taking TOO LONG.

There are no easy answers. But take heart, loved ones. God is working. Purposely adopt the attitude of Abramʼs wife, Sarah, who lived through every minute of this long walk with her husband. It is said of her in Hebrews 11:11, “…she judged Him faithful who had promised.”

Lord, sometimes it seems the walk is too long. Revive Your promises in us. Let us sense again that You are working Your good and perfect will in us. Help us to see You as the Faithful One that can be trusted, in spite of what we see around us. In Jesusʼ Name, Amen.