Transplanted to Be Transformed

UV 1719/10000 Transplanted to Be Transformed
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee
Genesis 12 v 1
At the age of seventy five when Abram was settling down in Haran and his comfort zone, the Lord asked Abram to leave the country of his birth, leave his kith and kind, leave his father’s house to the land of Canaan. Though this was a kind of wrenching experience in which Abram was uprooted from the place he was used to and the places, situations and people he had grown with, it was intended to transplant him in a place of the Lord’s choosing. The Lord often transplants us in a place we will grow well and flourish. We are moved from our comfort zone to a challenge zone. He does it to enlarge our lives and our impact, to fulfil our divinely ordained destiny. Abram believed God’s promise to bless him and make him a blessing to all nations. He took his family, his servants and livestock with him to Canaan. Abram’s life was transformed. His identity changed to Abraham, the father of faith and of many nations. He was greatly blessed. He was blessed with an heir Isaac. He grew more intimate with the Lord and received visitations of angels. He became a signatory on behalf of mankind to forge a covenant with the Lord. The Lord drew forth an entire nation, Israel from his loins. Abraham became the forebear of the Messiah or Saviour of mankind- Jesus.

The Lord transplants us to transform us. Just as paddy saplings are transplanted to another field to make these more productive, the Lord makes us more fruitful. He enables us to be a blessing to all nations. It implies in one sense that He enables us to find globally applicable solutions to the world’s problems. The Lord knows the end from the beginning. He equips us and prepares us for our eternal destiny. He determines the place where we should work and live. The Lord accompanies us on all our travels. He gave victory to Abraham against his local adversaries. The readiness to go places for the Lord marks out the man who is faithful and obedient. The very change of place challenges us. In addition to these changes of ambience and environment, we confront numerous unfamiliar challenges and difficulties. The way to progress is the overcoming of problems holding on to the promises of the Lord.

The Lord promises to show us the land He wants us to move to. Our journey on earth is a metaphor to show that our lives are a journey or pilgrimage back to the Lord. We ought not to get attached to any of our ties or possessions. Our attitude should be to hold these lightly and hold tightly onto the Lord. As Job said, “ He has given and He has the right to take it away.” Faith leads us into many great spiritual adventures. The Lord will give us evidence that He is with us through all our experiences as He was with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We are always living in a challenge zone. Our faith in the Lord is vindicated as the Lord will enable us to overcome every challenge in our lives. We will confront many great trials of our faith, many tests, many troubles – so that the overcoming of these challenges by faith not only proves our faith as Job’s faith was tested and proved but our faith will be greatly strengthened. Our testimonies of victory, deliverance, blessing, healing, answered prayer, signs and wonders, counsel, comfort and wisdom will be further a source of blessing to all nations.
Prateep V Philip