By faith Abraham, when called to go . . . obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

— Hebrews 11:8

Abraham had lived in Ur, a big city in its day, and with his extended family he had moved to Harran (Genesis 11:31). (Ur was in modern-day Iraq, and Harran was in modern-day Turkey.) Abraham was prosperous, and even if he wasn’t looking for God to take over his life, God was looking for him with a special plan in mind. Because of this, Abraham’s life changed in a big way. (At that time his name was Abram, but God later changed his name to Abraham; see Genesis 17:5.)

In effect, God said, “Leave your country, your culture, your clan, and follow me.” That’s not easy to do when you are 75 years old and successful and settled, as Abraham was. And God didn’t give Abraham a map to follow. God simply said, “Go . . . to the land I will show you.”

When it comes to God’s calling in our life, we like to have both clarity and content. We want a detailed description of where to go and what to do when we get there. But God seldom works that way. God wants us to exercise faith, not simply our intellect. He wants us to learn to walk by faith in him, rather than simply by sight. Not every call of God involves relocation, but every call does involve leaving some of our past behind and venturing into the unknown with God as our guide.

Lord, teach us what it means to listen for your voice and to respond in faith. Remind us that the safest, most joyful place to be is with you. Amen.