Please read Genesis 12:1 – 3; 13:14 – 17, 1 Chronicles 17:16 – 27 and Joshua 24:14 – 28

Key verses: And 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 12:2; ESV

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15; ESV

On my way to my secular vocation (being a bi-vocational pastor), I was listening to Chuck Swindoll on the radio. His message was about Abraham being called by God and all the blessings which he would receive from God as he answered His call on his life. One of those blessings is that God would make from Abraham a great nation. As we follow his story, we can see that promise fulfilled; even in today’s life. Then the Holy Spirit began to speak to me.

It started off by reviewing Abraham’s story and how one man produced a lineage which outnumbers the stars in the sky. I thought about how his children, their children, their children and so on has developed into enough people has grown into a mighty nation. Then, the Holy Spirit fast-forwarded my thoughts to several people whom I buried and the lineage they left behind in their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In the years to come, their numbers will be enough for a nation. I then began to think about my lineage and the possibilities for my descendants. It was then when my mind wondered into thoughts of how I constantly hear people complain about how America has lost their spiritual connectedness to God and how they wish that we (America) would once again become “one nation, under God”. Then the Holy Spirit asked me, “Is YOUR nation under God?”

I began to survey my life and the legacy I hope to leave behind. Am I attempting to allow God to lead me to a new land (spiritually) and to make a great nation from me (meaning a nation who will serve Him, follow His teachings, to lead a life of servant hood unto Him and to love people as He loves each of us.). Am I allowing Him to use the Holy Spirit to move me, lead me and to empower me to become a great nation which stands out from the worldly nations who follow false gods and selfish desires? Is Jesus’ sacrifice evident in my life enough to draw others into desiring a true relationship with Christ?

Like Abraham, I make mistakes along the way. Yet Abraham continues to follow the path which God leads him to. He trains up his son Isaac to love the Lord God and to serve Him. He puts God’s will before his own; knowing that even in his greatest loss (sacrificing his son Isaac) would result in drawing him closer to God. Am I doing the same? I know I am no Abraham; however, I can (and do) love Him like Abraham and I can raise my children to love and devote themselves unto His good keeping. It is my hope and prayer that my nation will be a nation under God.

This leads me to ask you: “Is your nation under God?” Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to lead you away from your bondage and guide you and your future nation into the Promised Land? If you want America to once again to be a nation under God, it starts with you! If you become like Abraham and follow Him, if you raise your children up in the ways of the Lord, and they also do the same, it will take very little time before America returns unto God. If every proclaiming Christian lived up to the Name we claim, how long will it take to turn this country back to the principles it was founded upon. If every believer took their relationship with God seriously and put God before all, God will raise us up to be great among the nations.

Which brings us to the passage in Joshua: choosing whom you will serve. Like Joshua, me and my house will serve the Lord. Yes, we have moments of failures, but we also strive to make our legacy one that God is proud of. We know that it is a lifelong process. And we know that we love God, have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives. Will you?

Father God,

Please move us as You did Abraham. Make us to be great nations among the nations and to honor You in our lives daily and continually. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.