Look at the first 8 verses of Genesis 12-
“Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy fathe house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him…
And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth–el, and pitched his tent, having Beth–el on the west, and Ai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.”
Genesis 12:1-4, 7-8 KJV
Within these verses, we learn a lot. We see God’s calling for Abram: to leave his home and travel to the land God has for him. We see God’s promise to Abram: God will show him the way, establish a great nation, bless him, make his name great, make him a blessing, and be on his side. We also see Abram go, without hesitation: “So Abram departed…”
But so often, we miss crucial moments of Abram’s journey. On two different accounts, verses 7 & 8, we see Abram stop to build an alter and honor the Lord.
No promises were fulfilled. No answers were given. No path was clear. Famine was only two verses away. Yet, Abram stopped to praise the Lord along the way.
Abram stopped to praise because our God is, simply, worthy of praise. Abram stopped to praise because our God is faithful, and Abram knew each promise he was given- would inevitably be fulfilled. He believed. Abram stopped to praise because he was aware of the value in the journey, as he walked (both mentally and physically) through the exact experiences the Lord placed to maximize the blessing.
Let’s not over look this truth in our own lives. Our God is worthy of praise. Our God is faithful- and He will fulfill His promises. Our journey is beautiful, as it is perfectly crafted by our perfect Creator.
Stop. And Praise.