S82P5 – The beauty of the call: Abraham
Genesis 15:2-4
Abram said, “Lord God, what reward will You give me, since I am childless, and he who will be the owner and heir of my house is this Eliezer from Damascus?” And Abram continued, “Since You have given no child to me, one born in my house is my heir.” Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir.”
Her childhood was spent taking care of her babies – her dolls – and making sure that they were safe and secure. She would change their diapers, feed them and even give them checkups with her toy stethoscope and thermometer. She was the girl in the neighborhood who always kept track of the little ones and tried to mother them a little too much. Her own mother would say that she was destined to be a mom because she just had that nature from a very young age. That was why it was so heartbreaking to learn that she would not be able to have children. That was all she ever wanted. Then, after years of battling with this disappointment, God allowed her to have a child. It was the fulfillment of the calling she always had felt, the calling to be a mother.
We see from scripture that Abraham had a desire to be a father and leave an heir. The fact that he tied God’s reward to his lack of offspring shows how important it was for him to have a child. Because of his age and that of his wife it seemed like it would be impossible. That did not keep Abraham from confessing this hope to the Lord. In time, God would allow him to fulfill this calling to be a father but not just a father of one or two. God would give him a much greater calling than that. Abraham’s offspring and lineage would be spoken of and admired for centuries to come. In fact, none other than the Messiah himself would be a part of that lineage. What a way for God to fulfill the desire He gave Abraham to be a father!
Sometimes God calls us to do things we never would decide to do on our own. Other times He uses one’s calling to fulfill the desires He has placed in one’s heart already. Abraham’s desire to be a father was there because he already had been called to be a father well before he knew it. It seemed unlikely, but it was true. It may be hard for us to imagine him otherwise because we sing songs about father Abraham, but there were many years during which fatherhood was just a hope and a dream for him. We must consider whether our great passions are actually the indication that God has placed those callings within us. Father, we ask for confirmation of the desires in our hearts, that You would show us where we have been called.