The Magic of Risking Everything – Abraham & The God Dare

From The God Dare:

Abraham or, the Magic of Risking Everything for a Dream Nobody Sees but You

I’ve been thinking about Abraham a lot lately. Have you ever wondered how he was able to leave his old life behind when God first called him? To walk away from what was likely a nice comfortable life and leave behind everything familiar, home, friends and family? How God asked him to risk it all and go to a new place He would show him? To trust completely and step out of the boat? Cast it all on Him?

Somehow, Abraham discovered a precious secret. What I like to call:

“The magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you.” (From the movie Million Dollar Baby)

What astonishes me is Abraham actually did what God asked him to do. He up and left everything he’d ever known to follow God. I love that about him, don’t you? I’m not sure how I’d respond if God dared me to:

“Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.” Genesis 12:1 

Notice God says, ‘a land that I will show you’, God doesn’t say a land I will tell you about. He just asks him to go.

Because in the going would come the showing. And although Abraham had no idea where he was going and God was asking him to follow blindly, he did! Can you even imagine?

“Abraham believed God...” Galatians 3:6. For me, those are three of the most radical words in all of scripture. He believed God. He took God at His word. He said yes to God’s prompting. He didn’t argue or equivocate. It doesn’t say he prayed about it or talked to his best friend or put out a fleece or even discussed it with Sarah. He just said yes.

Imagine if we could just believe God when He speaks to us. I don’t know if you’re anything like me, but I pretty much always tell God no first. I see all the obstacles, weigh all the difficulty, ponder all the things that can go wrong and I let fear have it’s reign. Oh how I wish I could be more like Abraham! To hear God out and not analyze and over-think it to death.

The most amazing thing to me is how God reveals to Abraham what’s to come. See if you hear The God Dare in this amazing scripture, filled with promise and blessing, as you take a moment to read through this familiar passage from Genesis.

“Now the Lord had said to Abram:

  “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3

Can you hear God’s big fat triple dog dare to Abraham? You do this Abraham and I’ll do that. 

Abraham could’ve said no. He could have told God he was quite comfortable and happy right where he was, thank you very much. He could’ve stayed safe and simply walked away from a future destined to change the world. And if he had, God would have found someone else. Someone who had the capacity to see what doesn’t yet exist. Someone who is able to

“call those things that are not as though they are.” Romans 4:17

Thanks be to God for all our sakes that Abraham was willing to risk it all. Willing, at 75 mind you, to grasp ahold of the future and believe. He’s my Old Testament role model. Think about this. Abraham was most likely set in his ways and simply wanting to retire and enjoy the childless years he had left.  Now here comes God with talk of making a great nation out of this man who has no heir and blessing all the families of the earth through him. What in the world?

God called out Abraham’s deepest dream and promised to do the impossible. And Abraham, simple Abraham, simply believed. I just love that about him, don’t you? I always want to maintain childlike faith, able to take God at His word even when it makes absolutely no sense to my carnal mind. To remember even though I can’t see the end from the beginning, He can.

God held a big God-sized dare with Abraham’s name on it just waiting for him to grab a hold and take the first step. Abraham, by simply believing God had a future for him, stepped out and in the stepping, it all fell into place. But it wasn’t easy, (it rarely is) and it took decades to come fully to pass and not without him first making a mess of it. But in spite of it all, every dream Abraham had came to pass.

 “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Galatians 3:6 

God Dare Secret:

When God dares us, He calls out the deepest dreams and desires of our hearts and gives us hope.

He won’t hand it all to us on a silver platter mind you. We will have to work and sweat, possibly bleed and most likely cry. We will pray, a lot, but really, all we have to do is just breathe and follow. Trust and obey.

God Dare Secret:

Our job, as God Dare takers, is to believe He has a plan. And as He calls out our deepest dreams and we face our deepest fears and say yes, just watch Him do the impossible. Just watch Him prove that we are, indeed, fearfully and wonderfully made for such a time as this.

When was the last time you risked it all on God? Radically obeyed even when people thought you were losing it? Are you willing to believe God has a big, crazy triple-dog God Dare just for you? Are you willing to risk it all for a dream nobody sees but you? Me too. It won’t be easy but believe me friend it is so worth it!

If’ you’re comfortable, share your God Dare in the comments and I commit to praying for you!