Missions Paul

We have all faced moments of loss. Some of these experiences are deeply traumatic, leaving lasting scars, while others come upon us so quickly that we remain in shock. Relationships have come to an unexpected end, opportunities have slipped away, seasons of our lives have drawn to a close, and we are left with decisions to make, namely, how do I navigate this separation?

Abram has made a decision, and so has his nephew, Lot. They have separated. Lot chose what looked good, and Abram decided to stay in the uncertainty of Canaan.

“The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, ‘Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. ¹⁵ All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. ¹⁶ I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. ¹⁷ Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” ¹⁸ So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.” (Genesis 13 v 14-18)

Have I made the right decision? It is a question we have all asked.

After the pain of the goodbye, after the heartache of separation, God speaks.

Throughout Scripture, God will say the same thing, whether it be to look into what is in our hands or, like with Abram now, ‘look where you are right now, in this situation, identify what you can see.’

God wants you to take your eyes off what you have lost, what has been separated from you, or what others have that you don’t, and look at what you have now. There is a new horizon for you.

God speaks again. “Go, walk …” He says the same to you. To live out where you are, explore, and move, for He will open up what is in front of you if you walk forward.

Don’t die waiting for God to give to you. Get up and take wise steps even though you are uncertain.

In doing so, Abram knows to build another altar. Worship is the rhythm of faith.

You may not be where you want to be. You may wish the heartache had never happened. But you can look up. There is more for you, even if you cannot see it right now. Make a step forward into your next chapter and build an altar of worship, mark the moment, this ground is holy ground, for it signals a new day.

Decisions are part of our lives. We make them most days, and sometimes they demand more attention than others. How are you at making decisions? What criteria do you use to make the right decision?

“Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) ¹¹ So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. ¹³ Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.” (Genesis 13 v 10-13)

One way to make a decision is to create a list of benefits. A pros and cons list. Focusing on the benefits and the opportunities the decision would bring. With this approach, Lot made the right choice, didn’t he? Read it again. Wouldn’t we have made that decision?

One question to ask is this: What are we overlooking when we are making a decision? Sometimes we need someone to check our blind spots to this. We pursue that job that pays a high salary, but we overlook the time it will take away from our small children. We choose the best opportunity, but forget that it takes us away from who we are called to be. Read verses 10 and 13 again. Lot would not have known that God would destroy those 2 cities. But if he had enquired a bit more, he would have found the reason why that may have been possible.

So how do we make good decisions?

We can do so by making sure that we don’t focus on “What will I achieve or how will I benefit?” but on this question: “Who am I destined to become if I choose this?”

Not everything that looks like the ‘garden of the Lord’ is, and in fact, there lies a clue. Lot would have known the story of Eden and should have asked what the moral of the story. Eve took what looked good, and Adam ate it and lost everything.

When we overlook what looks good, then we can lose more than we anticipated

Before you lies opportunities. But make sure you know what lies there as well. What you see is not as important as what you are not seeing.

Where will this decision take you or do to you? And not only you, but perhaps your household too.

Prosperity can divide what hardship never could. What once seemed like limitless space becomes crowded when blessings multiply.

Abraham’s journey illustrates this paradox. Returning from Egypt to Bethel, to the altar where he’d first worshipped God, he found that success had created an unexpected problem. Both he and his nephew Lot now possessed such vast flocks and herds that the land couldn’t sustain them together. Their herdsmen began to quarrel.

“So Abram said to Lot, ‘Let’s not have any quarrelling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.'” (Genesis 13:8-9)

Abraham’s response reveals a heart restored to God. He doesn’t investigate who’s at fault or rally supporters to his side. Instead, he prioritises the relationship over his rights. Though custom and seniority entitled him to the first choice, he surrenders that advantage to Lot.

This moment shows us something profound: when we return to our “Bethel”—that place of worship where we surrender our lives to God—generosity flows naturally. We can let go of what we deserve and offer others a better position.

Our world obsesses over rights. We’re conditioned to fight for what’s ours, to ensure we get our fair share. But what if there’s another way?

When we approach conflicts with open hands rather than clenched fists, when we value relationships over entitlements, we participate in something greater than mere fairness. We reflect the character of a God who gave up everything for us.

How many of our conflicts might dissolve if we stopped demanding what’s rightfully ours? What could generosity unlock in our families, friendships, and communities?

We have just read how Abram had pretended his wife was his sister. It was an act of deception and an exploitation of his wife. This not only undermined his integrity but also exploited Sarai, revealing a troubling aspect of his character. As we transition into the next chapter of his story, we find a pivotal moment of change.

“So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. ² Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.” (Genesis 13 v 1)

I find this disturbing. After demonstrating a lack of faith, he returns wealthy. Where did he get his wealth from? We have to say he got the majority from Pharaoh after deceiving him with Sarai. Deception blessed him. But his prosperity caused problems, as we will see soon, for Lot remained with him. With more stuff (animals, for example), then more space was needed. But we will get to that eventually.

There isn’t any mention of God, but Abram returns to where he came from; he goes back up from Egypt to the Negev. He returns to the path he was on. God had never told him to go down to Egypt. It was a distraction due to the famine. He is now back focused. The dry Negev desert is a better place to be if it is where God wants you than being in the place of the abundant Egypt, when God never called you to be there and when you have failed Him.

So Abram goes up. He carries his past with him, his wife and his nephew; he cannot do anything about what he has done, but he can get back on track. He can realign himself with God’s purposes.

Perhaps that’s the lesson. In your imperfect humanity, you may have made many mistakes, life could have become complicated for you, but your next step is vital because it keeps you moving towards what God has for you.

Sometimes, that’s enough to get back into the journey.

Abram’s story had been one of faith and worship. God had promised him blessings, greatness, and descendants who would become a nation. He had responded by building two altars to worship the Lord. He was walking toward Canaan, toward God’s promise.

And then famine came.

 ^“Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. ¹¹ As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. ¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. ¹³ Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.” ¹⁴ When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. ¹⁵ And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. ¹⁶ He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels. ¹⁷ But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. ¹⁸ So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” ²⁰ Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.” (Genesis 12 v 10-20)

This wouldn’t be the last time Abram stumbled. He would make strikingly similar mistakes again. Yet he remains our model of faith—not because he was flawless, but because he kept returning to God.

Abram’s failure teaches us something crucial about anxiety and decision-making:

Anxiety can redirect us away from God’s path entirely. Fear drove Abram to Egypt—the very place that would later symbolise bondage and oppression for his descendants. When we’re anxious, we risk fleeing toward the opposite of what God intends for us.

Anxiety tempts us to find security in the wrong places. Sometimes the things we run to in fear are the very things God is trying to free us from. Abram sought safety in Egypt; his descendants would spend centuries desperate to escape it.

Anxiety rarely affects only us. Abram’s fear-driven choices put others at risk. Sarai faced humiliation and danger. Pharaoh’s entire household suffered under God’s judgment. Our panicked decisions often create collateral damage in the lives of those around us.

When anxiety rises, slow down. Bring every anxious thought to God before making any decision. Abram’s legacy isn’t his perfection—it’s his pattern of returning to the altar, of coming back to God even after failure.

Be very slow to act when you’re afraid. The decision made in panic today may become the prison you’re desperate to escape tomorrow.

Abram has set out; he has left his homeland and is heading to a land of Promise, waiting for God to show him where to go. He has built two altars, and that’s where we pick it up with a short verse which tells us something important.

“Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.” (Genesis 12 v 9)

He keeps going.

He didn’t get a word from God.

But in this non-dramatic moment and with no guiding voice, he continues.

Maybe today, all that is in front of you is your next step, just another day. This is how faith works at times.

There are many people I know who will be waking up who need this encouragement to continue one more day. Further, this may mean that to continue is to walk into difficulty, not into an easier season. But continue you must.

To continue doesn’t sound exciting. Continuing is an action for the middle part. Many have started but fail to arrive because they don’t continue. It might not be courage that we need but endurance and commitment.

Abram had been told he would be blessed by receiving all nations, and it probably didn’t feel like that on the day he was continuing. You may have received many promises in your life, but they seem a million miles away today. But one more day of continuing is a step nearer.

Perhaps today you know you are called, but you don’t know what the next chapter will entail. It could be that you have to pray the same prayer you prayed yesterday because there is still no change, but pray that you will. Or maybe you have to turn up, even though it hurts, and no one seems to care whether you do. Success is often found in the quiet decision of obedience to keep on, to continue what you did yesterday, to take one more step. So go ahead. Continue.

Abram and his entourage have just arrived in the Promised Land, Canaan. He has already built an altar at Shechem, and now we come to the second of the four recorded altars that Abram builds.

“From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.” (Genesis 12:8)

We can only speculate about what is going through Abram’s mind as he builds these altars. These moments represent memorable encounters with God and declarations that this land belongs to Him. It’s reminiscent of when we say, ‘All I have is Yours.’

In this location, Abram finds himself between two cities that would later become significant in the Bible: Bethel, the House of God, and Ai, a powerful enemy of God. At that moment, he is unaware of their future significance. However, even if he knew, he would likely still do the same thing. The critical point is that he did not know. Amid unfamiliarity, he chose to worship. He may not have known whether to go west to Bethel or east to Ai, but what he does know is to whom he belongs: “This is who I worship: I call on the name of the Lord.”

Today, our destiny is not determined by what the world can offer us or where we set up camp—whether we find ourselves in a Bethel or an Ai. Those are not our measures of success. Instead, it revolves around us creating space to come, humble as we are—perhaps with little to offer—and to worship the Lord.

Abram’s simple act in the eastern hills serves as a reminder that faithfulness is not about reaching a destination; it’s about building altars. These altars are not monuments to our accomplishments, but rather humble stacks of stones where we connect with the God who is always present. You may not know what to do next, but you know who to worship, and that is true success.

I wonder who may be reading this devotion today? And I wonder if you are journeying through a new season? You haven’t passed through this way before, and you are relying on God to help you.

Look out for Moreh.

“Abram travelled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time, the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷ The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspringI will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.” (Genesis 12 v 6-7)

Moreh means ‘teacher’.

This was no ordinary tree; it was the great tree of Moreh, at Shechem.

Perhaps Moreh was a landmark where people gathered for debate and instruction; it might have been like ‘Speakers Corner’ in Hyde Park, London. It was here that Abram met with God, his teacher and instructor.

We know more than Abram knew at the time. He didn’t see the significance of Shechem. It was situated at an important passage between the mountains of Gerizim and Ebal, where Moses would pronounce the blessings and curses in Deuteronomy; it was where Joshua gathered all the tribes for his speech before his death.

Of course, he didn’t know that. But he encountered God in the place of building an altar of worship in that season of uncertainty, where faith was needed for tomorrow. And maybe that was the lesson God was teaching him: to worship Him even when you do not understand everything. It is certainly something we all need to learn: to worship in a place of transition, not when everything is calmer or more worked through.

Sometimes God acts only after we have worshipped.

Sometimes God speaks only after we have worshipped.

Sometimes God shows up only after we have worshipped.

If you are in an uncomfortable setting right now, look around; there may be a great tree nearby, which could mean God is teaching you a lesson, and that maybe God is waiting for your worship.

This  promise given to Abraham echoes through history with stunning relevance: “All nations will be blessed through you.” This wasn’t a narrow promise for one people group or culture—it was a universal declaration that transcended boundaries, languages, and traditions.

Abraham received this promise nearly 250 years before the Law was given. His original name, Abram, meant “exalted father,” but God would change it to Abraham—”father of a multitude.” In that transformation, he understood life wasn’t about personal exaltation but about nations across the whole world.

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 ‘I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through 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 v 1-5)

Today, Christians exist in every nation. The church represents a diverse multitude of people and languages. The work continues among specific ethnic groups bound by common culture, language, and identity. Even hidden people groups isolated from others are being reached with this promise of blessing.

We would never ask someone from a different ethnic group thousands of miles away to live out their faith exactly as we do in the Western world. The God of the west is the God of the east, north, and south—the God of all nations.

The blessing Abraham received wasn’t about wealth, though he was wealthy. It was about right standing before God—a blessing available to everyone, of every tribe, language, and culture, without adopting the practices of other nations.

This means people culturally different from us are family, heirs, and full members of God’s kingdom. They must be treated as such—accepted and blessed.

The promise remains active: “All nations will be blessed through you.” This happens through faith in Jesus and the transformation that comes through His work on the cross. When we first followed Christ, we were identified with His death and resurrection. His new life became ours. His power became our power.

The streets may hold division and hatred, but there are places of refuge. Churches should be safe places of acceptance where every person, regardless of background, can encounter blessing. Today, people need to go through Jesus to their blessing—and we’re called to help them find that path.

Let’s be people who don’t divide but who bring blessing to all nations.

The radical life of Christianity is a life that sits outside the comfort and expectations people have of us. It is what calls the missionary to leave home. It is actually a call for all of us. It is to suffer not needlessly or because of our stupidity, but because of a cause.  And that is the radical call. How is that possible? Only because of another place. There is a land. We have a home that calls for us to leave.

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 ‘I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through 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 v 1-5)

This call to Abram was not for some self-improvement. It was not to spend more time getting to know God. This was a complete upheaval not only of his life but also of his family’s. It was a call to leave everything that he had known and move forward into the unknown.

God hadn’t shown Abram the map and destination of where He was taking him. He didn’t give him the Gmaps. It was ‘the land I will show you.’

This is faith – to let go before you see what you are stepping into.

And this is what has happened in your life so far. God never told you how your life would work out. He didn’t show you the wonderful moments that you would experience as you gave your life to Jesus, nor did He tell you about the giants you would face.

You have learnt to trust and walk, just as Abram did.

The promise was to be blessed and to be a blessing. There have been seasons for both. Perhaps you won’t know the extent of how you have been a blessing, Abram didn’t.

God isn’t asking for you to play it safe and be like the rest of your world. He keeps asking for your trust. Even when you are walking through a season which isn’t all that clear, and you may not know what tomorrow brings. He will bring you home.

Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is simply take the first step into the unknown, knowing that God will show us the way as we go.

I have met people who want to move into the next part of their lives; they can see the excitement of trusting God for this, and I can see in their eyes and voices that they are clinging to what God has prepared for them. But they won’t leave. They won’t let go. They haven’t understood that you cannot cleave without first deciding to leave.