Spiritual Devotional
Week of September 14, 2020
Stuck like Chuck
Hebrew 11:8
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
Recently I read a story about a guy who was an engineer and was out surveying a large piece of land. One day he got his 4-wheel drive vehicle stuck in the mud and for three days couldn’t get it out. As the story went, not even a towing company would send a truck in to assist. He ended up digging it out himself.
As I was reading the story. I couldn’t help but think of the many people of God who presently feel stuck in some way. Current conditions in America have driven many into the ‘mud’ of life and like the engineer, they’re stuck not able to get any traction.
Believe me, I’m not being critical! Who hasn’t during some season as a believer been stuck? The muck of a life’s problems has halted any forward motion. Spinning your wheels over some decisions on how God would have you to move, but with no clarity. And even stuck in the mud of finances trying to dig out from debt. It can leave you paralyzed, unable to get ahead, but more importantly unable to do what God put you on earth to do.
The great biblical patriarch Abraham knew what it felt like to be stuck. He had followed his father Terah believing they were headed to Canaan but he stopped in Haran, settling there. In other words, they were stuck in a location that was not their destination. Hebrew 11:8 tells us “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
What’s unique about this verse is the demonstration of faith to leave NOT knowing where he was headed. Was Canaan on his radar? Or somewhere else? We don’t know and neither did Abraham until he left. I see two very important factors in this text when you’re stuck:
- Stop expecting God to explain everything before you move!
God is never going to explain everything to you about what He’ll have you to do. Furthermore, let me suggest that God isn’t obligated to speak until we take the first step. Abraham left not knowing where he was going and God took over from there.
- Accept discontentment with where you are as God signal!
If you’re feeling uncomfortable and know deep inside that you’ve been called to do more, take that as Gods nudging you to step out on faith. When you know you can’t stay where you are, you’ll begin to look for the new opening God is drawing you to.
We will never know the blessing and promise that God has on our lives until we begin to operate in the spirit of faith. Then and only then will we begin to fulfill our God given destiny.