Terah was the father of Abram, who later became Abraham and who received so many of God’s promises, including the miraculous birth of Isaac to Sarai when she was well beyond child-bearing age and the promise to become the father of nations. We don’t know how old Terah was when he set out for Canaan, but obviously he had something in mind. But when Terah and his family arrived in Haran, they settled there. If you look at the map, you realize that Terah had already made it most of the way to Canaan. Terah traveled from Ur, south of Babylon, to Haran, north of Damascus. But Terah never made it to Canaan; had he done so, he might have shared in the miraculous promises God gave Abraham.
Why did Terah leave Ur in the first place? Was he bored or hoping for better grazing for livestock? Or was God calling Terah to leave Ur? And why did Terah settle in Haran? Was Haran that attractive? Was Terah developing health problems? Did Terah become tired of traveling? Were other family members complaining and demanding to remain in Haran? At any rate, Terah settled for less than his original goal.
Life can be very hard sometimes. Family stresses, financial stresses, health threats, and events beyond our control may drag us down, tempting us to copy Terah and settle where we have reached, rather than continuing to pursue our goals. But God wants great things for us, and when we settle for less, we miss out on the good things we would have enjoyed had we persevered. In addition, we may always find ourselves wishing that we had not given up our dreams and struggling to find peace about our poor decision.
I nearly failed to apply to medical school at all, but I persevered in applying because a close friend urged me, demanding that I not abandon my dream. When I suffered through severe depression during my senior year of medical school, I nearly gave up becoming a surgeon. But the training program that accepted me held the position open for me, and I decided to go ahead and enter surgery residency. It was one of the best decisions I ever made, and thousands of grateful patients are glad I didn’t give up.
Has God given you a dream that is so big you feel it is impossible? Remember that if God gives you that dream, God will make a way for it to happen. Don’t give up! Keep making progress, even if you feel you are measuring that progress in inches or centimeters. One day, you will look back and thank God that you didn’t give up! And you will have the peace that comes from knowing that you are fulfilling God’s will for your life.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help all who are struggling to remember that You are the One who calls and when You call us to do something, You will also help us. Give those struggling Your strength and courage and endurance to reach the goals You have for them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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