Faith Obeys God

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. Hebrews 11:8

We are told here that God called Abraham. You would think that a man who was called by God must have been especially holy. Surely this man who obeyed God’s call and received God’s promise must have been seeking God, loving God, and desiring God.

But precisely the opposite is the case. Joshua said to God’s people: “Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods (Josh. 24:2). Abraham worshipped idols! He served gods of his own making. He did not know the God who made Him.

But one day, God appeared to Abraham as he had appeared to Adam and Eve in the garden: “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran” (Acts 7:2). Can you imagine this? Here’s Abraham, with these little statues perched on a rock. He is saying his prayers to the idols, asking them to help him.

Suddenly the God of glory appears to him. God, who made the heavens and the earth, appeared. God took visible form and stepped into this man’s life uninvited. God appeared to Abraham, laying claim to his life, his love, and his loyalty. Abraham’s life would never be the same.

Notice how Abraham responded when God called him: “By faith Abraham obeyed…” (Heb. 11:8).

Have you ever experienced this kind of call from God? If so, what was similar to and what was different from Abraham’s experience?