The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. … 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
- Genesis 12:1, 4-5
 
God called Abram to leave a lot: the place where he lived, the ethnic community he came from, and the relatives who he loved. All these familiar threads we all use to weave together good lives, Abram left them all.
 
But Abram didn’t go alone. He brought Sarai, his wife. And his nephew Lot came along. And they brought their property and the folks in their own household. Abram left a lot, but he didn’t go out alone.
 
As we were studying this passage in preparation for this week, we found ourselves asking: “Did Abram disobey God’s call to leave his people and his father’s household?” It sure looks like Abram brings a lot with him on the road. But the text doesn’t condemn or criticize Abram in this moment; instead, Abram is commended again and again for his faithfulness.
 
Perhaps our quickness to read God’s command to go as a command to go alone says more about us than anything. The Lord constantly works through communities. For every great figure in the story of our faith, we also find the Lord sending them friends. Aaron is already on his way to help Moses while Moses is still arguing with God at the burning bush. David has Nathan and his mighty men. Jesus surrounds himself with men and women who will not only learn from him but also share his life with him. Why would things be any different with us?
 
Who’s going with you on your journey of faith? Take a moment today to thank God for them and their presence in your life. If you struggle to think of someone who’s going with you, ask God to send someone your way.