1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT) “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
We may never know all the reasons why Terah never left Haran to go onto the Promised Land. For whatever the reason, Terah stopped in Haran and never went on to possess the “The Place” God had for him. Maybe the 550 mile journey had taken too much of a toll on him, his household, servants and livestock, but maybe it was a broken heart.
You see, Terah had a son that shared the same name of this town he found himself in. Haran was the father of Lot and in Genesis 11: 28, it says “But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living.” Thank God I’ve never known what its like to loose a child. I’ve had close friends of mine who have walked through it. One of my friends who lost his son in an auto accident said to me one day, “Parents who have lost a child are in a fraternity you don’t want to join and they know so well how each other feels.”
Just maybe that grief was more than Terah thought he could handle. I’m pretty sure that Terah probably had no idea this town with the same name as his son even existed.
Grief is real, natural, and a necessary part of the healing process. But, there’s also the “spirit of grief” that comes directly from our adversary and it’s the thing he uses to try to stop us dead in our tracks. He doesn’t want us to keep moving forward toward our “Promise Land.” Maybe you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or a divorce. If so, let me say, “that’s not the end.”
I want to encourage you today to keep going! Keep moving forward! Don’t let yourself get stopped in Haran! God has a great big plan for you. Maybe you didn’t see it coming and maybe you never thought it would turn out this way.
Our lives will always be connected to people that have the same ability to choose as we do. And, when someone’s “wrong choice” affects you, what do you do? You take hold of the promise found in Romans 8:28 which says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Our Heavenly Father loves to take everything our adversary means for evil and turn it for our good if we let Him.
Today, if you find yourself at a place like “Haran,” tell your heart to beat again, and know that your Heavenly Father has a “Promised Land” for you!
Check out Danny Gokey’s latest song “Tell Your Heart To Beat Again”