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 12:3
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
– Genesis 15:1
Brother Titus described Abram’s life up to this point as being in three stages. In the first stage, he was called out of Ur and went up to Haran. In our experience, we were saved and wanted to follow the Lord, but still held on to the things that the Lord told us to separate ourselves from. While in Haran, Abram’s father Terah dies, and the Lord calls him again. Similarly, by the Lord’s mercy, there may come a day when we lose interest in the things we once valued and held on to. They become dead to us. This is the turning point to the second stage, where we can really begin to follow the Lord. In this second stage, Abram went through many experiences. He went to Shechem, pitched his tent between Bethel and Ai, went to Egypt because of a famine, separated from Lot and dwelt in Hebron, and then later traveled many miles to rescue Lot from his captors. The end of the second stage led to Abram boldly declaring that the Lord, God Most High, was the possessor of heaven and earth, and that he would not take any of the spoils from the king of Sodom.
The end of the second stage is Abram’s great spiritual attainment. Abram finished what he himself could do. Now a new life began, that is, “Lord, I am afraid. If I just love You like this, is this really the meaning of my life?” Weren’t all the past things he went through an overcoming experience? But after all this, Abram was afraid. You know why you’re afraid? Because you [he] want to do something for the Lord. So the Lord’s word to him was, “I am your shield, I am your exceedingly great reward!” This is the difference between the second and third stage. It’s not how I develop or how I do – it’s my Christ! It’s not, “What can I do for You [Christ]?” but “How can I have You? How can I gain You? How can You become the substance and reality of all I have?” This becomes the real crucial thing. Everything else is not that important anymore.
– Message 8 review notes, Part III of A Real Romantic Journey: The Life of Abraham
In chapter 12, the blessing is all “you.” Now, God says, “I am your shield.” “You” disappeared. Now this is the third stage of his life. It has turned from everything being about “you” to God being the center. In the first stage, Abram is a common Christian going to church. In the second stage, he’s a growing Christian learning that God is the one who makes him rich. Now he’s in the third stage, and God says, “Do not be afraid. I am your shield. I am your exceedingly great reward.” Who’s the reward? God Himself! His reward is no longer a nation or a great name, but now God is his exceeding reward. The third stage is this: Without God, you cannot do a thing. Everything has to be God alone. Can we tell the Lord, “Lord, we want to grow to a place where we can just have You, and with You, everything is adequate.”
– Message 7 review notes, Part III
In the third stage, Christ becomes so preeminent. You know that everything is Christ. You see Christ, you pursue Christ, you gain Christ, Christ is magnified in you, Christ becomes your testimony. Even if you gain an outward blessing, it all leads you to Jesus Christ! At that time, you can say, “Lord, I’m so thankful. I have You.”
– Message 8 review notes, Part III
As you were reading, was there a particular stage or transition that resonated with you? How may the Lord be revealing Himself to you or calling you forward in your relationship with Him? Is He revealing His worth and beauty, or His strength and blessing? Or is He telling you that through every circumstance, He is with you, and that alone is enough? Whatever it may be, the Lord’s desire is that we would draw closer to Him, that we would know Him more deeply, and that He would be our exceedingly great reward.