40 Days of Faith: Day 7

Hebrews 11:8-9 – By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.

George Müller felt called by God to care for orphans in Bristol, England, despite having no money or resources. He famously never asked people for donations, he simply prayed. Over his lifetime, he cared for over 10,000 orphans and built multiple orphanages, all funded through unsolicited donations that came in answer to prayer. Müller walked by faith daily, trusting God for food, clothing, and shelter—sometimes hour by hour.[1]

Can I tell you something that you may not like? You will never have all the answers before you are called to step out in faith. If you had every answer, it wouldn’t be called faith. It would be called certainty. Remember, “…faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” (Hebrews 11:1, emphasis mine).

Abraham, originally called Abram, was picked by God for a special mission. He would be the one through whom a nation would be born, a land and law given, and ultimately, the line from which the messiah would come, so that all the families of the world might be blessed.

 But for God’s plan for Abraham’s life to take hold, Abraham had to set out. All Abraham had was the call of God to go to the land God would show him.

 The word “called” in verse eight carries with it the idea of responding to a summons. When we get a summons in the mail it is to appear at the local courthouse to serve on a jury. Citizens who understand their responsibility to serve on a jury of one’s peers take this summons seriously. They rearrange their lives, take off work, and report to the courthouse. They don’t do this because it is fun, but because the authorities have summoned them to come, and they may face consequences if they do not appear.

 But Abraham wasn’t just responding to avoid consequences. Abraham responded to God’s call because he was invited to receive a blessing from God. Notice the summons in Genesis 12:1-3:
 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

 God had a plan to bless a man, not just through a land that he would show him, or the offspring that he would give him, but most importantly, through his hand being upon him throughout his journey.

 Sometimes, all we have to act upon is a call. It is as if we have been summoned for something more and greater. We feel a stirring, we sense a change, and we begin to shift our lives so that we can set out. But make no mistake, no matter how much research we do or how much preparation we make, we won’t have every answer before we have to move forward. Abraham, by faith, “…went out, not knowing where he was going,” and it was in this journey, that God met him, blessed him, grew him, and honored him.

 Is God calling you to step out in faith? Maybe it’s in a relationship you need to repair. Maybe it’s in a change in vocation. Maybe He is calling you to full time Christian ministry as a pastor, missionary, or counselor. Maybe it’s a call to give sacrificially. Most likely, if God is calling you, it feels a bit scary and uncomfortable. But don’t let that stop you.

 If God is summoning you, take your first or next step and keep walking. In the journey, you will find out truth about him that you didn’t know otherwise and you will experience his provision, goodness, and blessings.

 Like Abraham and George Müller, we are called to move even when we can’t yet see the whole map. Faith means trusting God enough to take the next step, believing He will reveal the path as we walk. You may be waiting for all the answers, but God rarely gives them in advance. He gives Himself—His presence, His promises, His provision. So today, what is one step of faith God is summoning you to take? Don’t wait until everything makes sense. Take the step He’s asking of you and trust Him to meet you along the way.

Prayer:
Father, thank You for calling me into a life of faith. I confess that I often want certainty before I move, but You are asking me to trust You. Give me the courage to obey Your summons, even when the path is unclear. Teach me to walk step by step with You, believing that You will provide what I need and bless the journey as I follow. Today, help me to move forward in faith, confident that You are leading me to a better place. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
 
   [1] Roger Steer, George Müller: Delighted in God (Wheaton, IL: Harold Shaw Publishers, 1997), 45–50.