亚伯拉罕曾经住在当日的一个大城市吾珥，后来他和他的大家庭一同迁移至哈兰（创世记 11:31）。（吾珥位于今天的伊拉克，而哈兰则在今天的土耳其。）亚伯拉罕出自富裕人家，纵使他起初并没有期待由神来掌管他的一生，然而神却在寻找他，并为他制定了一个特别的人生计划。亚伯拉罕的生命便因此发生了剧变。（这时他的名字是亚伯兰，但后来神把他的名字改为亚伯拉罕；参看创世记 17:5。）
实际上，神在对他说：“你要离开本地、本族、父家，来跟从我。”这是一件很难做得到的事，因为当时亚伯拉罕已经75岁、而且功成名就，生活舒适体面。此外，神并没有给亚伯拉罕提供一幅可以导航的地图，神只简单地对他说：“往我所要指示你的地去。”
论到神对我们一生的呼召，我们每个人都希望能清楚领会呼召的内容。关于我们要往哪里去，以及到了目的地后该做些什么，我们都希望获得尽可能详细的描述，然而神却甚少如此行事。神要我们运用信心，而不是单靠我们的头脑；衪要我们学习凭信心倚赖衪前行，而不是凭眼见的事做出选择。神的呼召不是每一次都涉及迁移，但是每一个呼召却必定关乎放下一部份我们的过去、由神引导我们勇于冒险，进入未知领域的事物。
主啊，求你教导我们，明白聆听你的声音和凭信心回应呼召究竟意味着什么，又提醒我们，与你同在就是最安全和最快乐的所在。阿们。
创世记 12:1-4
1耶和华对亚伯兰说：“你要离开本地、本族、父家，往我所要指示你的地去。
2我必叫你成为大国，我必赐福给你，叫你的名为大，你也要叫别人得福。
3为你祝福的，我必赐福于他；那咒诅你的，我必咒诅他。地上的万族都要因你得福。”
4亚伯兰就照着耶和华的吩咐去了，罗得也和他同去。亚伯兰出哈兰的时候年七十五岁。
"By faith Abraham, when called to go . . . obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." - Hebrews 11:8
Abraham had lived in Ur, a big city in its day, and with his extended family he had moved to Harran (Genesis 11:31). (Ur was in modern-day Iraq, and Harran was in modern-day Turkey.) Abraham was prosperous, and even if he wasn't looking for God to take over his life, God was looking for him with a special plan in mind. Because of this, Abraham's life changed in a big way. (At that time his name was Abram, but God later changed his name to Abraham; see Genesis 17:5.)
In effect, God said, "Leave your country, your culture, your clan, and follow me." That's not easy to do when you are 75 years old and successful and settled, as Abraham was. And God didn't give Abraham a map to follow. God simply said, "Go . . . to the land I will show you."
When it comes to God's calling in our life, we like to have both clarity and content. We want a detailed description of where to go and what to do when we get there. But God seldom works that way. God wants us to exercise faith, not simply our intellect. He wants us to learn to walk by faith in him, rather than simply by sight. Not every call of God involves relocation, but every call does involve leaving some of our past behind and venturing into the unknown with God as our guide.
Lord, teach us what it means to listen for your voice and to respond in faith. Remind us that the safest, most joyful place to be is with you. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
