Category: Uncategorized

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 12:2

When God called Abraham, He said to him, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” Although, Abraham had to leave his country to Canaan, a place he didn’t know anything about, he was consoled by the promises that God made to him. Actually, God’s promise to Abraham was the only motivation he had. Abraham must have been excited with the fact that God was going to make him great. He must have felt good that God had chosen him to be the father of many nations. Recall that this was a man who didn’t have a child of his own. He might have thought his name would die with him. All of a sudden, God showed up and said, “I will make your name great…”

As I noted yesterday, Abraham already had a lot of possessions when God called him. So wealth wasn’t really his problem when God called him. His real problem was legacy. He needed an heir. God knew his problem. For that reason, God assured Abraham that his walk with Him will not only lead to a fruitful land but would result to him becoming the father of a great nation. When Abraham got that revelation, he got up and decided to follow God. That act of obedience might appear to be simple but if it wasn’t for Abraham, you and I wouldn’t have known Christ. By doing what God asked him to do, all peoples on earth have been blessed. Know that God is aware of your needs. He knows exactly what’s good for you. If God is asking you to embark on a journey with Him, comply even if it means losing everything you currently have.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, use me to save lives. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 12:2-3

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 12:4

When God asked Abraham to leave his country and his father’s household to a land He would show him, Abraham left as he was instructed. The Bible didn’t say that Abraham objected. He complied even though he was already doing well in Haran. Recall that Abraham wasn’t poor and wretched before God called him. God didn’t meet him at a time he was in trouble or distressed. According to the scriptures, “He (Abraham) took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran…” (Genesis 12:5). In other words, Abraham left Haran as a wealthy man and then set out on a journey to a land he didn’t know. No doubt, Abraham took a leap faith as he followed God’s will. Indeed, it was a bold step; the kind of decision that many wouldn’t take.

Often, when God calls people, He does it at a time they do not expect. God might visit you at a time you are comfortable with your life. It might be at a time you are settling down in a particular field of endeavor, believing it is where you ought to be for life. So when God calls you, everything may seem strange because you would wonder why He would want to disrupt your career and peace. At such times, you might even be tempted to think the revelation you got is just a figment of your imagination. In handling such situations, be mindful of who you share your revelation with. Trying to get other people to interpret a revelation can get you off track. In fact, you might even have to be careful with what your mind is telling you. Whatever God tells you to do, do it in faith.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me a discerning heart. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 12:4-5

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 12:4

Abraham’s father had intended to settle in Canaan land but his journey ended in Haran. The negative effect of that failed dream affected his son. Because Terah ended his journey in Haran, Abraham didn’t feel motivated to move on. Living in Haran, therefore, became normal to Abraham because his father couldn’t move beyond that city. Abraham became accustomed to “half-baked success.” For Abraham, it was a case of following a tradition that had been created by his father. Abraham might have thought; if my father couldn’t get to Canaan land, why should I? He might have resolved to stay in Haran, lead the family that his father had left, build his business and possibly adopt the culture of Haran. Clearly, Abraham didn’t have his own vision. Whatever it was that he had planned to do wasn’t really different from what his father had done. Haran then became his new country.

But just as Abraham was settling down, God showed up with a plan for him. God said to Abraham, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). So Abraham left. We do not know how long it took Abraham before he obeyed God’s instructions. Also, the scriptures didn’t describe how Abraham had his first encounter with God. When He got that instruction, was it by revelation, vision or he had an encounter with the angel of God? The Bible didn’t say. But we know that when Abraham got that message, he obeyed. Possibly, like Abraham, you’ve had an encounter with God. Perhaps, you’ve been in your comfort zone for too long. You’ve been sitting in that room, thinking you can’t go beyond the limits that others have set. It’s time to do what God wants you to do!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the courage to do what you want me to do. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 12:1-4

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 11:32

Do you know that Terah (Abraham’s father) had intended to live in Canaan? The journey to Canaan didn’t begin with Abraham. The scriptures say, “Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there” (Genesis 11:31). Instead of getting to his destination, Terah settled in Haran and died there. Although, he lived for 205 years, he couldn’t realize his dreams of getting to Canaan land. The Bible didn’t tell us why Terah couldn’t finish his journey. There’s no clear evidence that Terah changed his mind on getting to Canaan. However, he might have ended his journey in Haran for the reason that he changed his mind on Canaan or it could be that he became too comfortable with Haran.

Interestingly, Abraham didn’t make any move to live Haran until God called him. Possibly, after his father’s death, Abraham had decided to remain in Haran. Since, it wasn’t his idea to travel to Canaan; Abraham might have planned to remain in Haran. He might have reasoned that Canaan land wasn’t necessary because Haran was okay. Abraham might have decided to sustain his father’s legacy. Since his father ended his journey in Haran, Abraham might have thought it was right for him to follow his father’s footsteps. Initially, Abraham didn’t try to go beyond his father’s limits. But when God met him, everything changed. I don’t know what you are going through at the moment. Perhaps, like Abraham, you are trying to be like your father. I want you to know that God’s plan might be different from your father’s plans for you. Go beyond your father’s limits!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, May I not be limited by my father’s achievements. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 11:27-32

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Isaiah 43:8

One of the mysteries of life is that one can have physical eyes and yet lack the ability to see. Again, a person can have ears but be unable to hear. You can also have a mouth and be unable to speak. Also, one can have legs and not be able to walk. A person can have hands but then again, be unable use it effectively. Just as a person can have any of the parts of the human body but still fail to put it to good use, one can also have life and be dead at the same time. This means, you can have life and yet be lifeless. Therefore, having eyes, ears, mouth, legs, hands or any other part of the human body doesn’t make you functional. You become functional by the things you do with your body parts. Similarly, what makes you alive is determined by what you do with your life.

One day, Jesus asked a young man to become His disciple. But the man said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus then replied, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Clearly, Jesus wasn’t only referring to physical death. Although the young man’s father was physically dead, those who would bury him weren’t. But Jesus spoke as if they were also dead. So by that statement, Jesus wanted us to know that one could be alive and still be dead at the same time. In other words, a person may not be physically dead but could be spiritually dead. As Christians, it is important for us recognize the need to stay alive spiritually. You can be physically strong but if you are not strong spiritually, then you are as dead as the people Jesus was referring to.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the ability to build my spiritual life. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 8:18-22

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.