Hebrews 11:8-22

(Originally written January 22, 2010)

Key Verse: “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)

The second part of Hebrews 11 focuses primarily on Abraham and his calling. Most of us know the story of Abraham—how he was called to leave his country behind and go to the promised land. However it is when we look closer that we can really see and pick apart the story; we are then able to apply it to our lives.

Now Abraham lived in a place called Ur of the Chaldeans, and his family had settled there and been settled for a very long time. God then spoke to him and called him to “leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). Abraham had no idea where he was going; and yet he obeyed the Lord. God promised to make him a blessing, to be blessed, and that he would be a great nation, and Abraham trusted in that promise and made the journey.

There would be many hardships—Abram (as he was then called) and Sarai were old, without children; they would have to physically move, leave comfort and security behind… and yet they followed. Once they arrived, Abraham (and even his offspring down to Jacob) lived in tents in a foreign land. They did not belong there, and it was a most humble life and not at all permanent. In fact, Abraham did not even live to see the full promise of God fulfilled. And yet he believed.

God rewarded that faith. Abraham was made into a great nation, though the impossibility of it was great in human eyes. God blessed Abraham, and he became the father of Isaac despite his and Sarah’s period of doubt. Theirs was not a perfect faith—but this is encouraging. God recognizes that we cannot have such perfect faith and blesses us for the faith we do have; and He loves to watch it grow over time. Abraham and Sarah’s faith also grew like this, as we can see from their story in Genesis.

It was also a continuous faith; Abraham died right with God, as did his son and grandson. Verse 13 says that “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.” They could believe in the promise of God and did believe through to the end, even though they never saw the fulfillment of that promise. Even as aliens and strangers on earth, they could have hope because they knew of a place they belonged. They were part of the people of God and could, in a way, see the kingdom of Heaven. In fact, they were longing for it, this “heavenly country.” And God was proud of their faith and pleased with their obedience.

In the same way, I need to be more aware of the kingdom of God. Too often I get wrapped up in earthly things. Friends, going out and doing things, shopping, material possessions, personal projects; these all take precedence in my life over my walk with Christ. Especially with the world as it is, with so many opposing my morals and my beliefs, I feel very cut off from the world and don’t feel as though I belong. But I don’t belong—I am part of God’s kingdom and should be looking toward it with faith and eagerness. I shouldn’t be concerned with fitting in—I should be concerned with my own personal walk with God and strive to please Him rather than myself.

I also need to focus on God rather than the blessings He has given and will give me. As Abraham was tested, so I may be—to see if I love God more than His gifts. We must always love God more than the things He gives us, whether that be success, family, possessions, or opportunities. My faith in God should be one that I can trust Him even in the absence of blessings, and one that I can pass on as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph did. I need to have hope and vision for the coming kingdom of God and pass on the importance of great faith to those who come after me.

In just one simple way, I am praying to write testimonies faithfully each week as a testament to my spiritual growth and commitment to Christ. I will need to give up my own time—time which inevitably could be put to something I find more entertaining or more important—to write each testimony, as well as spend that time meditating on the word from the passage and applying it to my life. Through it I hope to become even a little more disciplined in my walk with God, and to grow my faith into something that is pleasing to God.

One Word: Love God more than His blessings and earnestly seek Him.