We chose Canaan Bound as the name for our blog for several reasons. It originally came from Andrew Peterson’s song by the same name on his album “Love and Thunder.” The song speaks of Abraham and Sarah as they leave their home and everything comfortable to go to an unknown land to which God has called them. They do this by faith, trusting in the promises God made to them which included overcoming impossible obstacles. Yet they had confidence in God who is sovereign over all circumstances and who is faithful to his word.
The song has been a consistent theme throughout our relationship. It was clear from day one that God was doing something impossible with us. Many people probably thought we were foolish for moving so fast, especially since we barely knew each other. But God gave us confidence in his sovereignty, and our “faith compelled and bore us on.” Now we’re married!
A second reason we chose this title is because we literally are Canaan bound. Vanessa and I are planning to go to Israel this summer to study the Hebrew language at the Biblical Language Center. We have prayed much about it and feel this is the best way we can prepare for our future of Bible translation and theological education. You can read our vision here.
The third reason we chose this title is because even after we go to Israel this summer, we are still sojourners here on this earth. God called Abraham and Sarah to go to an unknown land, but we read in Hebrews 11:9-10 that, “By faith [Abraham] went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land...for he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” Yes Abraham physically moved to the land of Canaan. But there was a greater promise to which he looked. By faith Vanessa and I are children of Abraham, heirs of the same promise (Gal 3:29), and we are looking forward to the same heavenly city Abraham was. It is God’s promise of eternal life in Christ that compels us to go overseas and make Christ known to those who do not know him. We are not sure what our future holds, but we are confident that God holds our future. So may this blog be a journal for us to track God’s working throughout our brief sojourn here on earth. One day we will receive our inheritance in full, and we will see our great God face to face!
