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 – Genesis 12:4

Today's Scripture Reading (August 10, 2021): Genesis 12

South African–Australian novelist Bryce Courtenay argued that "Sometimes the slightest things change the directions of our lives, the merest breath of a circumstance, a random moment that connects like a meteorite striking the earth. Lives have swiveled and changed direction on the strength of a chance remark." The reality is that it doesn't take much to change the direction of our lives. A slight deflection at one point can drive our lives in a completely different direction further down the road. The most insignificant decision can change the possibilities of what becomes possible or impossible at a later point in our lives. It doesn't take much to keep our lives on track or drive our future totally out of alignment.

God tells Abram to leave his family and go to the place to which God would guide him. It is a huge decision and one that would affect the rest of Abram's life. There had to be a temptation to stay where he was to be close to family; leaving meant that Abram would have to remove himself from the social safety net represented by the existence of family in ancient times. To leave meant that Abram would be alone and would have to trust God in every situation, likely more than he had to back home. But Abram did trust God, so he followed God's instructions and left his family, going to the place that God would show him.

We honor Abram for his willingness to obey the command of God to leave and go. But we also have to recognize that it was really only partial obedience. It would be a trait that would follow Abram throughout his life. He trusted God, but Abram also tended to shift his responses into what made sense to Abram rather than following God's instructions to the letter.

It was Abram's reality when, late in his life, Abram was promised that he would have a son. He believed God, but he adjusted God's directions to include sleeping with Sarai's maidservant Hagar and producing a child through her. Maybe he thought it was a minor change, but it has had extreme effects on the history of the world, as the division between Isaac and Ishamael, and later the Jews and Arabs, grew with every passing generation.

As God told Abram to leave his family and go to the place that God would lead him, Abram did the go part very well. And he also left his family, but with a tiny adjustment. Lot was not part of God's plan for Abram, but Abram either let or convinced his nephew to come with him. It was a slight deviation from the plan of God, but one that would cost Abram dearly. Lot would prove to be nothing but trouble and an inconvenience to his uncle. At the beginning of Abram's journey, it was a minor deviation. But it would prove to be a significant change of direction in Abram's life.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Genesis 13