Imagine God speaks to you tonight. He tells you to leave your village, your family, and the only home you have known. He does not tell you where you are going. He only says, “Go.” Would you obey?
This is the story of Abraham. He is called the father of faith. Not because his life was easy. Not because he never doubted. But because he trusted God when nothing made sense. His life shows us what real faith looks like, even today.
A Call to Leave Everything
Abraham lived more than 4,000 years ago in a city called Ur. He had a wife named Sarah. He had family, land, and a comfortable life. Then God spoke to him.
“Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:1-2, NKJV)
Notice what God did not say. He did not say where the land was. He did not give Abraham a map. He did not show him the journey ahead. He simply said, “Go.”
And Abraham went.
“So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him.” (Genesis 12:4, NKJV)
That one sentence holds a lifetime of trust. Abraham was 75 years old. He had every reason to stay. He had every reason to ask questions. But he obeyed.
The Bohemian reformer Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake in 1415 for trusting God’s Word over human authority, once said, “Seek the truth, listen to the truth, learn the truth, love the truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, defend the truth till death.” Abraham held the truth God spoke to him. He defended it with his obedience, even when the cost was high.
Faith Means Trusting Without Seeing
Many years later, the writer of Hebrews looked back at Abraham’s life and wrote this:
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8, NKJV)
Read that last line again. He went out, not knowing where he was going.
This is faith. Faith is not knowing every step before you take it. Faith is trusting the One who knows.
Think about a farmer in Cambodia who leaves his small village to follow God’s call. He knows every rice field. He knows every neighbor. He knows the path to the market and the sound of the rain on his roof. Then he hears God call him to plant a church in another province. He does not know the people there. He does not know the language they speak in that area. He does not know how he will feed his family.
But he goes. Because God called him.
This is not foolishness. This is faith. The farmer is not trusting the road. He is trusting the God who made the road.
A.W. Tozer, a pastor and writer from the 20th century, said it this way: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Abraham thought rightly about God. He believed God was good. He believed God was faithful. He believed God would do what He said. So Abraham could leave everything behind.
Righteousness Through Faith
Years passed. Abraham was in the land God had promised, but he had no son. God had said his children would be like the stars in the sky. Yet Sarah was still without a child. Abraham was getting old.
Then God spoke again. He took Abraham outside and showed him the stars.
“And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6, NKJV)
This is one of the most important verses in the whole Bible. Abraham did not earn righteousness by working hard. He did not earn it by following rules. He did not earn it by giving offerings. He believed God. And God counted that belief as righteousness.
The apostle Paul quoted this verse hundreds of years later when he wrote to the Romans:
“For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.'” (Romans 4:3, NKJV)
Paul used Abraham to teach a powerful truth. We are not made right with God by our good works. We are made right with God by faith. The same way Abraham was.
Martin Luther, the German reformer who recovered this truth in the 1500s, said, “My conscience is captive to the Word of God.” Luther had tried to earn his way to God through religious works for years. He fasted. He prayed. He punished his body. Nothing worked. Then he read about Abraham. He read Paul’s letter to the Romans. And he saw the truth. Righteousness comes by faith. Not by works.
If you have been trying to earn God’s love, stop. You cannot. Abraham could not. Luther could not. You cannot. But you can believe. And God will count your faith as righteousness, just as He did for Abraham.
Looking for a Better Country
Abraham lived in tents his whole life in the promised land. He never owned the land. He never built a city. He lived as a stranger and a traveler. Why?
“For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Hebrews 11:10, NKJV)
Abraham was not just looking for a piece of land in this world. He was looking for something greater. He was looking for the city of God. He was looking for heaven.
This changes everything. Abraham could leave his home because he knew his real home was with God. He could give up earthly comfort because he was waiting for eternal comfort. He could live in tents because he was waiting for a city that would last forever.
Cambodian believer, hear this. You may face loss. You may face persecution. You may give up things your friends keep. But you are not foolish. You are like Abraham. You are looking for a better country. You are waiting for a city whose builder and maker is God.
When Faith Stumbles
The Bible is honest about Abraham. He was not perfect. He lied about Sarah being his wife to protect himself. He tried to fulfill God’s promise his own way through Hagar. He doubted at times. He laughed when God said Sarah would have a child at age 90.
But God did not give up on him. God kept working in his life. God kept teaching him to trust. And in the end, Abraham’s faith stood strong.
This is good news for you. You do not have to be perfect to be a person of faith. You will stumble. You will doubt. You will make mistakes. But God will keep working in you, just as He did with Abraham.
Live It Today
How do you walk in Abraham’s faith right now? Here are three steps to take this week.
Listen for God’s Call
Set aside time each day to be quiet before God. Read His Word. Pray. Listen. God may not call you to leave your country like Abraham. But He is calling you to something. Maybe He is calling you to forgive someone. Maybe He is calling you to share the gospel with a neighbor. Maybe He is calling you to give generously. Whatever it is, listen.
Trust Without Seeing the Full Path
Stop demanding that God show you every step before you obey. Take the first step in faith. If God has called you to do something, do it today. Do not wait until you understand everything. Abraham did not understand everything. He just obeyed.
Receive Righteousness as a Gift
Stop trying to earn God’s love through religious works. You cannot earn it. You can only receive it. Today, pray a simple prayer. Tell God you believe in Jesus Christ. Tell Him you trust in His death and resurrection for your salvation. He will count your faith as righteousness, just as He did for Abraham.
A Closing Word
Abraham is called the father of faith for a reason. He believed God when there was nothing to see. He obeyed God when there was nothing to hold on to. He waited for God when the promise seemed impossible.
You can live this kind of life too. You do not need to be older. You do not need to be rich. You do not need to be educated. You only need to believe.
If you want to talk more about faith in Jesus Christ, or if you have questions about beginning your own walk with God, reach out to Naleng Real at https://nalengreal.com. She will listen to you. She will pray with you. She will help you take your first steps of faith, just as Abraham did so long ago.
For more articles to help you grow in your walk with Christ, visit https://unboundedknowledge.org.
