Genesis 12:1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

When God told Abraham to go to the land he would show him, God did not tell him anything about the address or direction or the name of the country or the name of the land. However, Abraham is expected to obey. Because God promised him to make him into a great name, a great nation and be blessed to be a blessing to all the families of the earth.

However I want to bring up the aspect of “Go to the land I will show you”  in Genesis chapter 12, verse one. You know the land that God wants us to go to is  our promised land. When God spoke to Abraham go to the land, he would show him, God means that’s the promised land for Abraham and his offspring.

Essentially God is calling us to go to our promised land. And now this is far bigger than anything that’s what we’ve seen and heard.

Now what is the promised land? Promised land is the land where God wants us to flourish, raise our families, and enjoy God’s Shalom. Now that Shalom is not only expressed in material, physical term, but its really first and foremost in the spiritual flourishing  life.  Because we are in this world, but not of this world, the land we enter in must be the land we can enter into rest. Just like in Hebrews. We enter into our Sabbath.

Now when we say the promised land is ours in this world, it means we’re entering into a land of tension between the earthly city and the City of God. That’s why we are in the world, which is the city of the world. However, we’re in the world, but not of the world, if we are not of the world, then who are we of, or where are we of? The answer is that we are of the City of God. As Augustine has powerfully written about this. City of God, we can see.

The biggest thing that Augustine brought out in the City of God and also in Confessions is the word “love”. When God says “I will show you., go to the land I will show you”. He is equipping us, changing us, and molding us so that we have the love for him and his Kingdom, to be actually possessing the promised land. The land that God wants us to enter in. It’s a land full of people who are full of love for God. Just like Abraham. In this world, while he was still alive, he never saw the promised land. They just saw from a distance by faith. And they never gave up. They held on to the promises of God in their faith. And that’s what God has called us, even though we may not see the promises fulfilled in this life, perhaps. We will see in the next life the promised land that God has called us. It’s really in a state of mind and a state of the spirit.

For God wants us to really pursue the City of God in this world. That city of God is full of the glory and righteousness and love of God. And the love relationship between God and his people. I would never say the City of God is a city full of law and order, and punishment and righteousness, etcetera which may be true. However the overriding picture is of one that is of relational, intimacy with God, our creator in Christ Jesus. And that’s what God has called us to exhibit. To exhibit that intimacy with God in our walk, with God, in our relationship with one another, in our conversations, and also in our writings, in our readings and our job and our career and everything of the every sense of the word. The land of God.

The land that God will show to us is the land promised by God. It’s the city of God. We are sojourners, aliens. We are strangers in this world. The promised land is the new heaven and new Earth and now we are in the journey towards that goal. We’ll be on this new heaven and new Earth. And now we got to build that land. The land that shows the glory of God and the love of God. The power of God in our lives. God is calling us to the land, the land that will show forth the city of God, where everyone will love to come in to the city of God. Or they will hate the city of God because of Christ. There will be no in between. And there will be no City of this world. influences. It’s a tough call to go. And that’s why we need the voice of God calling us towards that. God is calling. Are you ready? Would you be willing?

In fact, the question would be more like: “Jump into it. When you’re ready, it is going to be so phenomenal”.  Every one of us needs to have a dream. To have a vision. To have a hope. The hope of entering the promised land keeps us going and pumps us every day. Amen.