Leave it, Charlie!

Good morning,

We have this beloved mutt, Charlie, who in only generally obedient, but faithfully devoted.  He does not know many commands, due mainly to the laxness of his family's training of him.  However, he does know "leave it".  This is the verbal command we give him when, basically, we want him to avoid something that will hurt him or us, OR when we have something for him which is far better.

Now the Lord said to Abram,

“Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household

to the land that I will show you.

2 

Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you,

and I will make your name great,

so that you will exemplify divine blessing.

3 

I will bless those who bless you,

but the one who treats you lightly I must curse,

and all the families of the earth will bless one another by your name.”

4 So Abram left, just as the Lord had told him to do

God said to Abram, "If you want my blessing, you've got to leave this place".  Leave it!  It wasn't that God was in some other place to which He wanted Abram to go.  God was there with him and his family, in Ur, also in Haran.  God had already anointed him, chosen him, blessed him.  However, the God of All Greatness wanted to bless him even further .... by making him a blessing to others, to generations, to all the peoples of the earth.  (God even told Abraham's son, Isaac, that his descendants would be more numerous than all the stars in the sky! Genesis 26:4)  In order to receive that promise, Abram had to make a huge step of faith.  Basically, he had to "leave it".

Such is the pattern of resplendent Christian living.  From the overflow of our blessings received, we pour out the love of God on those around us.  We were never meant to keep such love, mercy and grace to ourselves.  We were commissioned to share it with those all around us.  That almost always means coming out of our comfort zones --- Ann Voskamp calls it "leaving the blur of Ur" --- to go to the Promised Land.

Even in the middle of all the Advent preparation, is God calling you to leave your Ur, to make a big step of faith?  Is He asking you to leave some lesser thing in the dust of Haran and move on to something greater for His kingdom?  Has He put a new song in your mouth today?  A song of praise to your God?

Don't go away empty.  Just as we gas our car's tank for a big trip, drink in the beauty of your God. Fill your tank with the beauty of His holiness, with the majesty of His praise.  Let His abundant goodness overflow your vessel, so that it spills out all over those around you, so that it pushes out anything that could be considered "lesser", inferior, dross.

1Sing to the LORD a new song;

         Sing to the LORD, all the earth.

2Sing to the LORD, bless His name;

         Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

3Tell of His glory among the nations,

         His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

4For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised;

         He is to be feared above all gods.

5For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

         But the LORD made the heavens.

6Splendor and majesty are before Him,

         Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

7Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,

         Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

8Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name;

         Bring an offering and come into His courts.

9Worship the LORD in holy attire;

         Tremble before Him, all the earth.

10Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns;

Psalm 96:1-10a (NET)

Arise, my soul, arise!  Have done with lesser things!  Tell of His glory among the nations! Be to others the Advent blessing He has poured out on you.

We praise you, O God, because strength, beauty and and majesty are in Your sanctuary. We praise You for the Son of your love, for Jesus who died, was buried and resurrected, who now intercedes for His church, at Your right hand, O Father.  We praise You for Your Holy Spirit, who is with us in our Urs, yet calls us to leave behind anything that would keep us from intimate relationship with You, our Triune God.
Through Your children, may Advent appear in all kinds of unlikely places today, for the glory of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen.

Source:

 Voskamp, Ann. The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas. Print.