Living by faith means stepping out for God and leaving the results to him.
It is good to recall what soldiers are told before a battle begins: “You have to go. You don’t have to come back.” The same is true for the soldiers in the army of the Lord. When Christ calls, we have to go. We don’t have to come back. The only guarantee we have is that if we’re faithful to the end, we shall be with him in glory.
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” – Hebrews 11:8
Archaeologists tell us that in Abraham’s day perhaps 250,000 people lived in ‘Ur of the Chaldees’. It was a centre of math, astronomy, commerce and philosophy. People from outlying areas moved to Ur because they wanted to be part of that great city. It was a world-class city. No doubt many of Abraham’s friends thought he was crazy. Obeying God’s call meant giving up his friends, his career, his traditions, his home, his position, his influence, and his country. The life of faith means, “I am going to be the man or woman God wants me to be no matter where it leads.
“By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise” -Hebrews 11:9
Living by Faith means resisting the temptation to settle down on your journey in obedience to God. Within all of us, there is a natural desire to settle down. To have a comfortable degree of certainty for ourselves and those whom we love. Tents speak of impermanence, of the possibility of moving on at any moment – if you don’t own the land, you can’t build a permanent dwelling there.
‘’There was a famine in the land… Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you’’ – Gen26:1-2
Genuine faith will always be tested by circumstances, the devil, and our own inner sinful desires. Living by faith could also mean staying because God says to stay! We may have to bear with physical circumstances for a while, with our focus fixed on God’s promises. No wonder Abraham was looking for a city built and designed by God. Our challenge is to be like Abraham and cling to the promises of God no matter what happens. We may have to say at some point, “We would rather die with the Lord than live without him.” In God’s time every promise will be fulfilled. Meanwhile, we watch and wait and walk by faith.
