
Transitions may begin with small steps, much like a child learning to walk. Learning to walk is a process, and small steps often mark transitions, as we see in Abram’s life. God called Abram (Abraham) to make the most significant transition of his life.Genesis 12:1The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.[1]
Stephen offers further insight into how Abram responded to the Lord’s guidance as he recounts Israel’s history. Acts 7:4 So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live. [2] Haran served as a halfway point on the 1,200-mile journey from Ur to Canaan.
Haran was more than a geographical milestone; it was a significant trade hub where Abram’s family settled for a time. This period in Haran became especially notable because Abram’s father, Terah, died there. As a result, the family’s journey to the promised land was delayed until after Terah’s death, marking Haran as a place of both transition and waiting on the path God had set before Abram. Is there an area of your life where the Lord is asking you to take a step in obedience as He transitions your life?
Transformation as I take Steps of Faith
Transition may begin with small steps because the Lord is transforming us even as He calls us to walk by faith. In Genesis 12:1, it is translated that God “had said” to Abram to leave your native country. Why is this important? Translators use “had said” because the events of Genesis 12:1-3 chronologically refer to an earlier command given to Abram while he was in Ur. This was before he came to Haran with his father Terah (Genesis 11:31-32).
The narrative in chapter 12 begins by essentially flashing back to the divine call that initiated Abram’s journey. The first steps of faith are not always giant steps, as we would like. This explains why Abraham did not fully obey the Lord. Instead of leaving his family and going to Canaan, Abram took his father and Lot, then stopped halfway in Haran. Both Ur and Haran shared a similar pagan culture, centered on the prominent moon god Sin, who symbolized wisdom, fertility, and divination.
As God transformed Abram, he would have understood why taking relatives with him and stopping halfway was not a good idea. As we walk by faith, we might not understand the steps of faith God is asking us to take, but we must simply trust Him.
God Does Not Waste Our Small Steps of Faith
As we take baby steps of faith, we learn to trust God even when we don’t understand why. The journey of Abram mirrors that of many believers as God transforms them along the way. Proverbs 16:9The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. [3] This verse notes that while we plan, God establishes our steps, implying He works through our incremental movements. This was true of Abram, and it is true in our lives as well.
To learn how transitions may begin with small steps, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/when-god-says-go
[1-2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Pr 16:9). (2025). Crossway Bibles.








