The God Who Says "GO"

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1)

My wife and I are privileged to travel a lot and have been fortunate enough to serve on the African continent over a dozen times. Occasionally I hear stories from people about their fear of surrendering their will to God because, “God might send me to Africa or something!” But as we grow to know God more and trust in His character, it’s not a fearful thing to say, “Here am I Lord, send me!” He is a God who is Faithful, Generous, Good, Gracious, Just, Loving, Merciful, Omnipotent, Sovereign, Unchanging and Wise.

It struck me recently that God says “GO” a lot in the Bible. He told Noah to GO into the ark (Gen. 7). To Abraham, “GO to the land I will show you” (Gen. 12) and later to Moriah (Gen. 22). God told Moses to GO to Pharaoh (Ex. 3). To Joseph, God said to GO to Egypt (Mt. 2) and then to GO back to Israel because Herod had died.

In Acts 8, God tells Philip to GO to a desert road because of the value of a single person. All demonstrated trust by going; not trust in themselves but in the One who said “Go.” And He tells us to “Go” as well (Mk. 16:15 and Mt. 28:18-20). You don’t have to GO around the world to fulfill these commands ... God may be asking you to cross the road and help a neighbor or across the parking lot to help someone carry groceries or across the office to encourage a co-worker.

In the Bible, God asked Jonah to GO to a people he wanted nothing to do with – “GO to the great city of Ninevah …” (Jonah 1:2, 3:2). And sometimes God asks us to GO to people we would rather avoid. Maybe for you that’s a Democrat or a Republican or perhaps a Muslim, a migrant or even someone who moved here from Timbuktu. Or it might be a First Nations person or “the grumpy old person up the road.”

How do we get our “go” going? Faith and trust. What do you believe about God? Do you trust Him? The answers to these questions shape your responses to His commands.

My challenge for you, and for me, is this … will you trust more in the character of the One who says “Go”? Let’s get our “go” going.