To some people, faith is a mysterious thing. Yet Hebrews 11:6 that it’s impossible to please God without it. Scripture also tells us it is by faith that we stand and that we are to walk by faith and not by sight.
That’s why I’m so thankful God gave you and me a faith mentor. His name is Abraham. And throughout Scripture, God points to Abraham and says, “If you want to know what faith looks like… if you want to see faith with flesh and bones… look at him.”
A good example is Hebrews 11:8 which says, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
Before we go any further, understand that Abraham was a person just like anyone else. He had bad days… he had setbacks… and he even was known to tell a lie every now and then! But there was one thing that was true of Abraham. He consistently trusted God. And that trust was demonstrated in his unwavering obedience to God.
So today, I want to focus on this one aspect of Abraham’s faith… and then I want to challenge you to follow the footprint of obedient faith that Abraham has left us.
Now, the verse from Hebrews that I mentioned earlier refers to an encounter Abraham had with God in Genesis 12. Here it says the following:
Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran (vv. 1-4).
If you think about it, God’s call on Abraham’s life was a pretty scary thing. I mean, Abraham was no spring chicken when God spoke to him about leaving! He was 75 years old! When was the last time you heard about a 75-year-old man packing up his family and moving away somewhere?
Nevertheless, notice what Abraham’s response was! He went out… not knowing where he was headed. All he knew was that he was being obedient. This is what the Bible calls faith.
I have a friend who loves maps. And he loves to use maps to plan every mile of every trip his family ever takes. But you know, when God called Abraham, He didn’t give him a map with a carefully planned-out route. God just said, “Get going and I’ll lead you.”
This is where a lot of Christians get hung up. Because heading out with only a directive — and not a destination — requires us to give up control. It requires us to be vulnerable. And these aren’t things many of us relish!
But look at Abraham. He obeyed God when God called him. And so should you and I!
Let me ask you today, is God calling you to do something… but you haven’t obeyed Him? Maybe it’s walking next door to your neighbors’ house to begin a friendship… with the goal being to share Christ with them. Maybe it’s helping out a ministry at your church. Or maybe God is calling you to move your family to another country to serve Him.
Whatever it is, when you know that God is calling you to do something, you need to start moving! Waiting on more direction or detail may prove to be an exercise in futility, as well as a lack of faith.
There is no way to steer a parked car, yet many of God’s children seem to insist on staying parked until they know exactly where they are going and how long it will take to get there.
Today, I want to challenge you to follow in the footprints of Abraham’s obedient faith by stepping out and doing what God has called you to do. To be truly used of God, you need to learn to obey His leading… even if you don’t understand or can’t see the outcome!
Answers with Bayless Conley broadcasts practical teachings of the Bible to its viewers in a non-religious way. For years, Bayless Conley struggled with drugs and alcohol while searching for answers. It was not until he was more than 20 years of age that a 12-year-old boy showed him the powerful reality of a relationship with Christ. Since 1979, the Lord has opened the television airwaves to the Answers program, which currently airs each week in more than 100 nations around the world.