Leaving Comes First

‭‭‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭1,‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”

Numbers 9:17a, ESV

And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out,

So often, when we face seasons of transition in our lives, the only thing we know in the beginning is what we’re being called to go from. We know fully well what we’re leaving behind, but the thing ahead is still fuzzy, uncertain, or even completely unknown.

We shouldn’t find this surprising, however, because God leads his people like this all throughout scripture—from Abraham to the Israelites to the apostles.

One day at a time.

One step at a time.

One place at a time.

One position at a time.

But, the leaving always comes first. We can't walk forward without leaving the place we're currently standing.

And the same is true in life.

So today, if God’s telling you to walk away from something—but you’re afraid to do it because you can't see where God is taking you next—then go anyway. 

Let it go. 

Lay it down. 

Leave it behind.

And trust the God you know. 

One thing scripture makes clear is this—God is always taking His people forward and upward, until the day we see Him face to face. That’s why Paul calls it the upward call of God in Philippians 3:14. 

What God has next for His people is never lesser than what we leave behind.