Stuck in Haran

I keep being drawn into the story of Abram lately. It is one of those stories that you have read a million times and then one day.. a truth hits you smack in the forehead, and you wonder, has that been there the entire time?

And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees... And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. 

Genesis 11: 26-28, 31-32

 

Here we have Abram's father. His son dies, and it hints to the fact that that they receive the call to pick up and go, and they start out on their journey toward the promise land. They make it a little over half way, to the city of Haran. The city that bears the name of Terah's lost son, and they stop and dwell there. I have to wonder what caused him to stop? Could it be that at the place named after his son, he found a place in his heart that was not yielded to the Lord? Maybe he found something that was holding him back. Here is Terah, a man who lived during the time of Noah and Shem. He has heard the stories of the greatness of God and His faithfulness, and yet, he stops before he reaches his goal. He dwells there.

Doesn't that touch you? Here he is, on the BORDER of God's promise, and he stops short. If he stands on his tip toes, he could probably see it. You follow God's call enough to say you went, but not far enough to be uncomfortable. I have been there. I am there. You dwell in the place of the familiar. And what happens? I think the name Haran gives us a clue. Haran means "parched." Your soul gets thirsty, and your flesh kicks in. I have to wonder if this is the place that they became idol worshipers? (Joshua 2:2)

The moment that you stop answering the call, you choose your own will over that of the Lord's. Those things that we hold on to: the hate, the anger, the love of the things of this world, self righteousness. These things are the things that are keeping us from the promises of God. We hold on, and we clench tight, and we say, "But God! I did go!" when really, in the depths of our heart, we are holding back pieces. Little idols. Little compromises that we just aren't ready to let go of yet.

The sad thing is this. Terah died there. In that barren, dirty, parched land named after his first born. He never got to see the fullness of God's promise. After Terah died, the Lord comes to Abram and calls him to Canaan. He tells him to leave everything that was of His father's house behind and promises him the world, but he has to go. Two lives that start out on the same journey, going the same direction, and end so differently.

Am I Terah? or am I Abram?

I love God, I love everything about Him, but sometimes, I catch myself holding back. Some things that He asks me to do are just too uncomfortable. And oh, how those things have been coming to the light lately. I just want to hang on.

But I can't.

He wont let me.

We have to choose.

 Our God is a jealous God, and He will not have any other gods before Him.

And I can feel it. I am on the brink of a life change. I feel like if I could just stretch my neck, I could see the Promise Land. But these bags are just holding me down. And aren't they silly little things anyway? Why do we get so attached to them? In God's light, don't we see how ugly and tattered they are? Our idols are broken. They have never served us, they are hollow and empty, and they leave us lifeless and spiritually dead. It is time, brothers and sisters, to step out of Haran. Not knowing where we are going, but trusting the One who leads. It is time to leave the baggage behind in favor of a Living God.

The meaning of Canaan surprised me also. It means "low" or "humbled one".

And Jesus said ..."Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

 Matthew 11:29