By Dennis Large
As I finished Genesis 15 this morning and looked upon a map to take in the vast area of Promised Land (from the river of Egypt to the “Great River” Euphrates bordering Persia and the entirety of Arabian lands), so much “promise” actually became nothing because Israel did not fully embrace the word, the promise, of God.
And then I look at myself and see what God could have done had I only embraced His promise from the beginning of my spiritual walk. Israel was meant to be a nation of priests, taking God’s message to other nations. A nation of wealth and beauty so magnificent that their source of blessings must be from the one true God which would be evident in their worship of Him. Instead, through fear, self-serving and unbelief, they became slaves and wanderers.
I, too, was called to do more, but I took Israel’s route and wandered in my own desert becoming slave to my own fears. I think we all do the same, at times. But we can do better. We can shake off the dust of our travels and focus on the path ahead, laid out by God our Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and walk again in confidence and peace.
I know I look forward to the Road ahead. I know I and mine are with a great family of witnesses in our little church. So much promise wasted by the Israelites in their wanderings. So much wasted by us all. Let us make 2021 a year of new beginnings, a year of purpose, remembering our roots in Christ, taking on the promise of God and believing His Word. Amen.