Where Are You, God? 30 First Encounters With GodSample

Day 3: Abraham - The Call to All Nations

Abraham is known as the patriarch of faith, but we don't often think about who he was before God called him. In the days before the Word reached him, Abraham lived a very different life with a different name—Abram.

"Terah took his son Abram... and together they set out from Ur of the Babylonians to go to Canaan" (Genesis 11:31). Genesis tells us that Abram came from Ur, located in modern-day Iraq. This bustling, sophisticated city in ancient Mesopotamia was a major center of moon-god worship, serving a pagan deity literally named "Sin."

Then God Interrupted Everything

"The Lord had said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your people and your father's household to a land I will show you'" (Genesis 12:1). No map. No timeline. No guarantee except God's promise: "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you... and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:2-3).

Abram lived comfortably in his polytheistic lifestyle, surrounded by family and security. Yet he left everything familiar—family ties, financial security, religious traditions—to follow a voice promising global blessing.

From Pagan to Patriarch

"Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness" (Romans 4:3). It was God who sought out Abraham where he was and called him into His story. Because of his faithful obedience, Abraham was blessed, and through him, countless others over generations have been blessed.

Breaking Generational Patterns

God can reach anyone, anywhere, regardless of their religious background. When He calls you, He has the power to break through even the most established destructive cycles to start something new. Abraham perfectly demonstrates how one person's obedience can profoundly impact the entire world.

Your Call

What promises has God made to you? How might He be calling you out of your comfort zone to be part of His plan to bless all nations? Like Abraham, your faithful response could launch blessings that reach far beyond what you can imagine.

The same God who called Abraham from Ur is still calling people today to leave their familiar territories and trust His global purposes.