day 665: Venturing

"It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when god called him to leave and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going."

In the neck of the woods where I live the word "venture" is part of the common vocabulary. If you are not a part of a venture you probably know someone who has brushed up with a start-up venture. And then there are those who are venture capitalists and the VCs invest other people's money into new ventures. Dictionary.com defines venture as: "An undertaking involving uncertainty as to the outcome, especially a risky or dangerous one: a mountain-climbing venture. A business enterprise or speculation in which something is risked in the hope of profit; a commercial or other speculation." Speculation, risk, hazards, hope. These are all words that describe a venture. And, it fits for as we can be prone to say, "Nothing ventured is nothing gained". So, we venture for something that if we take the risk and it pans out will have rewards attached. But, even then when we venture we do all we can to keep the risk down, even if it means less rewards. VCs want to mitigate the risk by ensuring the best team, the right kind of capital and opening up ways to go to market. But even if we are in a position in an established company, we still venture when we take initiative or try something new for us. Venturing is just part of business.

But to venture with no idea of where we are going seems kind of crazy doesn't it? But, that is exactly what God asked Abraham to do. He went out totally blind to where he was going or what he was supposed to do. When Abraham got the message that he was to venture out he laid all of the risk and hazards back on God and by faith allowed Him to lead and Abraham followed. We are being asked to venture out from where we are in order to bring even greater glory to God in our work and lives. Can we find the courage in God to venture? It could be that God is challenging you to move your business forward in a new way, or to use your investments differently, or to reallocate your time and energy. Whatever the venturing that is in front of you right now, don't ignore the push and pull inside of you as it could be that God is asking you to trust Him.

Reference: Hebrews 11:8 (New Living Testament)