The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “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. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3 (New International Version)
A few days ago I listened to my Senior Pastor, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, preach on ‘The Keys to Unlocking Greatness’, modeling the life of the Patriarch, Abraham. Something he said in the course of the sermon, inspired this piece. He said that because God had promised Abraham that He would make his name great, He had to make the man Abraham great before making his name great so that he might not bring his great name into disrepute by actions that do not depict greatness. Through the processes he passed through, a great Abraham was formed from the small and regular Abram, the new Abraham was a man fit for the name that would last for all generations.
As mortals, we give a man a name after considering, contrasting and comparing his ways with existing standards or ideologies. Humans call a man great after it is obvious the man has become great, but God calls a man great while he is yet little and then walks him through a process until what he put in the name manifests in the man. Unfortunately, some men do not follow through, they escape from some or all of the series of tests that will prove the greatness which Yahweh already deposited in them. This process is what separated the sons of Sceva from Paul, Peter, Jesus… (Acts 19:11-16). They wanted a great name, yet had not submitted to the workings of the Spirit of greatness.
Abraham had to go through a lot. We know his story but take another look at his journey after God first called him out of his family and promised to make his name great. First he had to face the pain of separation from the life and most of the people he had hitherto known and gotten used to. Then he had to learn to trust a God he had never seen with his physical eyes. He had to trust that the place which God was going to show and give him would be better than where he was leaving. He also had to trust that he would indeed have children of his own, through his wife Sarai, who had been termed barren.
Further up the road, Abram had to learn to let go of the extra baggage of Lot, his family and all he owned, when it was time. When Abram left his father’s household, Lot was probably still a kid he felt obliged to look after, but as God blessed him, Lot’s wealth and influence increased too. Like most of us, Abram didn’t know when or how or was simply unwilling to kiss his nephew goodbye until their herdsmen began to have constant squabbles. That point where he was willing to let Lot choose a path for himself, Abram added a feather to his ‘greatness cap’, a badge to his uniform, a rank to his shoulder. He learnt what it meant to 'hold loosely that which was not eternal'… if it profited little or nothing to his kingdom assignment, he could let it go. TV programs, Social Media engagements and other nice things that conflict with your kingdom assignment fall in this category. Note that your ‘Lot’ may prevent your greatness from appearing, even though God has already made your name great. Check out what God told him the same day, after Lot left. (Genesis 13:14-17)
Another process God brought Abram through was that of integrity. See Genesis 12: 11-13, 20:11-14. Twice he lied to save his neck and to possess royal gifts and privileges, even though it meant that Sarai, his wife had to be in the arms of another man… Imagine that. But God had to make him see what his actions brought to both Pharaoh and Abimelech’s household. Character formation in his children is so important to God He could stall a great blessing until you ‘get it’. God’s tests are like a threshing floor, thrashing out the chaff from the wheat.
Notice that God also changed Abram's name, and that of his wife Sarai. He 'enlarged' their names to accommodate the promise. Instead of being called 'father', He renamed him a 'father of nations'… What do people call you now? What do you answer to? Lazy, Proud, Owner of a small company, etc. Start calling yourself what God has called you. If he has told you you will own a conglomerate, start calling yourself the MD of an internationally recognized business.
The Lord also brought Abraham through an intense test when he commanded him to sacrifice Isaac. By that experiment, He was able to bring him into submission to the supreme power and will of God Almighty. By the time he walked down Moriah with the 'resurrected' Isaac by his side, Abraham was a changed man. He could trust God with anything, believe God for everything; be bold and audacious in his prayers and requests to heaven. That morning, Abraham’s greatness reached its peak in Heaven’s meter, for even the angels waited with bated breath as he trudged up and down the range of mountains to the spot God had prepared for the sacrifice. It was unbelievable, that mortal man would show so much faith and trust in a God he was yet to see with his eyes…
I could go on and on… the visit of the Three; how Abraham hosted them and interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, stretching his negotiating power in spiritual affairs; his war against the four kings after they attacked Sodom and four other kingdoms and captured his nephew; his submission of the tithe to Melchizedek and his return of the booty to the King of Sodom to show that that he was not bound to earthly possessions and was willing to serve God even with his gold and silver. (Genesis 14)
You see, Abram went through all of that and more, so that, like a worm which transforms into a beautiful butterfly through a long, hard and bitter process, he could metamorphose into a great Abraham, fit for a great name. One who would walk before the Lord without blame (Genesis 17:1).
Go through the process Child of God, walk in the steps of Abraham, David, Daniel, Joseph, Job, Paul, Jesus, … today, we speak of them with pride. They are our cloud of witnesses, and they urge us on.
Has God promised you a great name? Then all of this - what you may have already gone through or are going through at the moment - is to make you a great man fit for the great name. Go through it. You will be great on the other side of this.
Live One More Day
Sista Mercie
＃Medispiration
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