Living the Adventure of Faith
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”
Hebrews 11:8 (NIV)
Faith has been described as obeying even when you don’t understand and it doesn’t make sense. The Bible records this example about Abraham in the Hall of Faith chapter of Hebrews 11:8 (NIV), “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”
Would you do it? Would you, like Abraham, leave the security of where you are and set out on a journey even though you did not know where you were going? Sounds absurd, doesn’t it? That’s the adventure of faith! To do what Abraham did, you would have to be absolutely convinced that the God who called you, loved you, and was able to sustain you and lead you. It’s the kind of faith that honors God because it risks it all in obedience to Him. Abraham didn’t set out on his own. It wasn’t even his idea. He didn’t wake up one morning and say, “God, I’m ready to move, and I need you to lead me to another place.” The Bible says, “By faith, Abraham, when called to go…” It was God’s initiative from the beginning, yet God didn’t explain everything upfront.
When you live by faith, you will discover a truth. Sometimes, the path is not clear until you start the journey. No wonder Abraham has been called The Father of Faith. What an adventure Abraham had, and we get to read about it as he set out in obedience to God’s call. As his story unfolds, you will find that it wasn’t even so much about the destination as much as it was about the journey itself. His journey of faith met with obstacles, enemies, struggles and challenges that kept him dependent on the God who called him. Abraham was also called The Friend of God. When God is all you have, you discover that God is all you need! God did things through Abraham that had no other explanation but God, miracles that even his critics would give God the credit for! What I love about his story is that his journey also reveals the detours he took from faith, times of faithlessness, and doubt. Yet, regardless of the mistakes he made, he always returned to the God who called him and found Him faithful!
The God of Abraham is the same God today. Jesus described living the adventure of faith like this, “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'” Matthew 6:31 (NIV). You will not know all the answers. All you will need to know is that God does! That’s the adventure of living by faith!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.