Our assistant pastor announced he and his family would be leaving our church community and moving two hours away to a new city and a new congregation. He confessed that initially he and his wife didn’t want to go. They liked it here. They were comfortable in this home, with this church, this job, and this life. But they heard God speak and they said ‘yes’.
Comfortable. Happy. Predictable.
God was calling them to move. To “Go”.
God will be faithful. God promises to go before us, we just need to be obedient.
Say ‘yes’.
I recall our life only two years ago. I remember as I sipped my steaming coffee, gazing at my husband across the table and listening to what he was saying. Over our plates of eggs and sausage, he was suggesting we move. Relocate. Pick up our family and possessions and move across the country to a town we had never even visited, 30 hours away.
It was something we had never thought of before. We hadn’t planned to move. I didn’t want to move. Yet, something stirred in us that day over our brunch with a casual conversation.
I loved our beautiful little home in the countryside, across from the lake where I spent my summers growing up. All our family memories were there in that little blue bungalow with rambling flower gardens and towering trees. We had friends, jobs, and routines. We liked it there. We were comfortable in our home, our church, our jobs, and our life. We had built our life, grown our family, established friendships, and anchored our roots in this community. Were we to leave it all behind and start over, somewhere new, in a strange land, with strange people?
But we heard God speak.
Comfortable. Happy Predictable.
God was calling us to move. To “Go”.
God would be faithful. God promises to go before us, we just need to be obedient. Say ‘yes’.
The Bible is full of people who were called by God to leave what was comfortable, happy, and predictable to “go” into the unknown.
Abram was called from the land of his fathers into an unknown land with a promise of a huge blessing of descendants.
“Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.” Genesis 12:1
Moses was called to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt and slavery into the promised land and he protested he wasn’t qualified to lead them.
“You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt” Exodus 3:10
Joshua was called to lead the Israelites into the Promised land after the death of Moses, and wandering 40 years in the desert.
“Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about t to give to them (the Israelites).” Joshua 1:2
As believers, we are all called by Jesus himself.
“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15
When God calls us to move, he often has a purpose for us to fulfill. He is faithful to go before us and prepare the way. He just wants us to be obedient and say yes.
When the people of God moved and trusted him, mighty things happened. A people group was born; a lineage was created; a promised land occupied; a people redeemed; souls saved.
But sometimes the purpose is to move us from our place of comfort into a place of trust. When we rely on ourselves and become comfortable, there is no need to trust God. We are happy when life is predictable. When God asks us to move, he wants us to trust him and see what can be done in his strength. He also promises to go with us.
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10
Not everyone has to move across the country or move to a new city, but if you listen carefully, you may hear God calling you. Is your life comfortable, happy, and predictable? What is he asking you to do to move out of your comfort zone and step into the unknown to fulfill the purposes he has for you?
Trust him to be with you.
If he calls you, will say yes?
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