I used to love to build model cars years ago as a child. I was fascinated by the styles and colors of the cars as they were pictured on the box, and could not wait to see the finished product.
One time, as I was eagerly trying to complete a model, I accidentally glued the front bumper to the rear of the car. I did not discover my mistake until the glued pieces were bonded tightly together. The front bumper was now stuck in a place where it did not belong.
In Genesis chapter 11, the account of a man named Terah is given. Terah is the father of the man who later would be named Abraham. Terah chose to journey to the land of Caanan, but as he and his family were on their way, they stopped in a place called Haran. Scripture then says that Terah settled there and eventually died there. Haran is defined by a Hebrew term that means to be dry and without water. Water is the key indicator that “life is present. With this understanding, Terah chose to settle in a dry place where there was no “life”. This is why God calls Abraham out of Haran and to the land of promise (see Genesis 12). God did not want Abraham to be stuck in a dry place like his Father Terah…a place where he did not belong.
Like the bumper on my model car, you may be stuck in a place where you do not belong. A place where there is no life or growth. You can choose to settle there like Terah, or hear the call of God and move towards your place of promise by faith like Abraham.
When I allowed the front bumper to get stuck in the wrong place, there was nothing I could do with that model. Its purpose and existence was ruined. However, because of God’s Grace, when you end up feeling stuck in a place where you know you do not belong, God gives you the opportunity to do something about it. You do not have to remain stuck! Your purpose and existence do not have to be ruined. Like Abraham, if you would hear God’s call, recognize your true purpose, and begin to faithfully move towards the Dreams and Goals that He has given to you, you can break free from your Haran, and eventually experience your land and place of promise!
Pastor Corey