Abram was called by God when he was 75 years old. He was living in Haran, a major city in upper Mesopotamia (southern Turkey). God called Abram at a dark time. There had been no one to carry the lamp of God since the time of Noah and the Great Flood. God's call to Abram was a two-sided covenant promise. Abram's part was to leave his family and his country. He had to painfully separate from everything he knew and go to an unknown land. God's part was multi-faceted. God would transform the childless Abram into a great nation; God would bless Abram; God would make Abram's name great; God would bless anyone who blessed Abram and would curse anyone who cursed Abram; and God would make Abram into a blessing for the whole world. Quite a promise to someone from an idol-worshipping family who didn't know God!

How did Abram respond? He followed God. He did exactly what God told him to do and left his family and his nation and went to the land where God showed him. God had planted faith in Abram that he would make this dead man into a great blessing for the whole world.


Application: Father, thank you that you call ordinary, sinful people to follow you and obey your word. Help me to follow you all my life.
One Word: "I will make you into a great nation"