Go … to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. Genesis 12:1-2


Happy new year!  It is a time of beginning anew, leaving the old and taking on new challenges.  Many set goals to be achieved and the more serious ones among us assess where we are with the old ones and realign ourselves to achieving them.

I have several notebooks that only the first few pages are written on. I used to buy one almost every year at this time.  I would list what I wanted to achieve, but never looked back or checked on my progress. The urgent things were done and I suppose the more important things were done.  But I must admit that many times the things that would give true satisfaction were never done.  Hanging out more with friends, visits to places of interest.  One that stands out that can no longer be done is for my mother to tell her story.  I never sat down to get it. 

In this passage Abram and his wife migrated.  They embark on a new journey.  His nephew goes with him.  They do not know where they are going. All they have is the promise from God that God will bless them and  they will be a blessing. 

We know nothing of Abraham’s situation. If life was hard and so he was seeking his fortune as people would say.  What is certain is Abram followed the urging of God for a new and different life.  A life where he would be blessed and be able to bless others.  God tells him he will have many descendants from which many nations will come. 

Whatever was going through Abram’s mind I doubt that he understood that world powers and kings would be part of his descendants or his legacy.  He would probably have big dreams of more sheep and goats, and herdsmen to care for them. He may still be thinking he needed an heir.  What’s the point of having all this wealth and leaving it?  He would have dreams of contentment and satisfaction of a life well lived.  It is this dream of contentment, satisfaction and fulfillment that we all crave.  We all want to be able to look back on our lives and to say we have done well, that we have lived full lives. 
The lessons from Abram are:
1. Go forward in faith
2. Go forward knowing that what God promises God will deliver.
3. Abram followed God’s direction. He did not just jump up and go. He was guided by God. 

We too should take heed as we embark on this new year, as life provides new opportunities to live fulfilling and contented lives, lives of joy and happiness. 

• We should follow as Abram did.
• We should trust God and not lean on our own understanding. 
• We too even when we do not know how our plans will work out,
• We go forward in faith, knowing that what God promises God will deliver.
• We align ourselves as God’s guides, so we can be blessed and be a blessing to others.  In being blessed and blessing others, we find contentment and true joy.

God provides the strength, courage and wisdom we need to be blessed and to bless others. May we be bold as we journey away from the familiar into an unknown 2025.