Centuries later the citizens of Ur had developed their community into showplace. For its time, Ur was a thriving, advanced metropolitan area, civilized and comfortable. The people had running water in their homes, a code of laws, public schools, financial institutions, shops, and a social structure. They also had their own gods.

Abraham believed God, and God accepted Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God. And Abraham was called God’s friend. James 2:23

    Abraham grew up in that community. But his comfortable days in the city were interrupted by an extraordinary invitation from God. God call, Abraham to leave the security of home, the benefits of city life, and the warmth of friends to follow God’s lead to an unknown land and to follow God’s dream instead of his own. Granted, God’s dream was incredible: Abraham was to become the friend of God and the human father of God’s chosen people, a great nation, a nation through which the world would be blessed.

    All Abraham had to do was turn loose of his past, his dreams, his doubts and his fears so he could trust God for his future. The almighty God want, to become Abraham’s security, his protector, his guide, his personal friend.

    With God’s promise tucked away in his heart, Abraham and all his family, including his father, Terah, moved from Ur and headed for the land Canaan. They settled in the river city of Haran until Terah died. Then Abraham, his wife, Sarah, his nephew, Lot, and all his entourage left that city of trade, and at seventy-five, Abraham headed southwestward by caravan into the desert toward God’s promised land. Thus began the story of his remarkable relationship with God.

Reflection: God didn’t thrust a list of demands upon Abraham like a distant tyrant. By introducing himself as a friend, God provided Abraham with a relationship, a hand-in-hand demonstration of his desires and concerns, his limits and his love for his people. The goal of this journey into the promised land wasn’t just a place to live; it was also a way to live—in a closer relationship with God. Our friendship with God begins, just as Abraham’s did, with risk, shared time, and trust. The benefits are spectacular—God receives the glory and we receive his love. Imagine a God who wants to be your friend. How could it get better than that?