Abraham’s father, Terah, had a vision of getting to Canaan, but he never made it. He ended up 400 miles away from his destination—that’s about five hours away in today’s travel. When Terah died, Abraham discovered a life of faith that was still talked about in New Testament days. In fact, it’s how Stephen began his history of the Jewish people just before he was stoned as the first martyr of the church in Acts 7.
What Stephen meant as a testimony of God’s faithfulness toward His people throughout the Old Testament has become a personal and prophetic word for us today. Let me share that word with you.
Stephen gives an account of several Old Testament patriarchs in order to make a case against those who were bringing charges against him. He begins with Abraham and his journey out of the land of Haran and into Canaan (see Gen. 12). Abraham was literally asked by the Lord to leave everything he had known, the people he had grown up with, and the life he was comfortable living. He was under a mandate to follow the Lord into a new land, full of unknowns, with nothing but the promise of God on his life.
It’s interesting to me that in Genesis 11:31 we find Abraham’s father setting out in similar fashion, heading toward Canaan. He brought his family as far as Haran and stopped there. Terah died in Haran, and Abraham entered into a brand-new season of opportunity, revelation and challenge.
Haran literally means, “to be scorched, charred, burnt, angry and dry.” How many times have we ended up in places just like that? The trick of the enemy is to get us stuck in a place that is charred and scorched, and for us to end up dry and angry. Abraham faced that possibility, except for the Word of the Lord over him and his willingness to obey God and follow Him into the unknown.
With the promise of blessing on his life, Abraham set out to finish the job his father started. He was headed to Canaan!
The root word for Canaan is “Kana,” which means to submit and to be humble. Wow! God had already released a blessing of promise on Abraham. In order for him to experience the fullness of that promise, he had to walk humbly before God. Abraham needed to submit to the Lord even when he did not understand all that was being asked of him.
Abraham discovered a life of faith that led him into unexpected blessings and opportunities to bless future generations. But Abraham’s life isn’t just ancient history. Even in today’s circles, we talk about Abraham and how God sees us much like this great patriarch. We have that same promise of blessing on us today, according to Galatians 3:14. But, also like Abraham, sometimes we find ourselves in a place like Haran.
Maybe you have begun this new season, and it doesn’t feel like a new season at all—it just feels like you’re beating the same old drum, with just another chronological date attached to it. I’m here to tell you that God is calling you out of Haran! He may not be calling you to a different locale, but He is calling you out of a dry and angry season.
God is calling you to a life of humble submission to His word over you, even if you don’t fully understand it. You are a person of promise and a person of blessing, and God has an amazing future for you. It may mean you have to walk away from the things with which you are comfortable.
Many times, my own comfort zone is what causes me the greatest amount of hindrance in my life. I must be open to new and fresh ways of doing things. I must be willing to allow God to bring new people into my life.
God’s desire for you in this new season is that you would come into a new revelation for your life, a new insight into His calling and purposes for you and the ministry to which He has called you.
There are multitudes of families waiting for you to walk into the realization of the blessing that is on you. It’s closer than you think, and you are the anointed of God for this season. His favor surrounds you on every side, even as a shield. God is for you, not against you.
You are headed to Canaan!
By: Scott Reece, supervisor of the Southeast District
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