Faith and Obedience
ICS Daily Devotions

Hebrews 11:8-10 (NKJV) 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.By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Faith and obedience can be challenging for Christians because they are contrary to what we want. However, walking in faith and obedience brings tremendous blessings. The Bible says obedience is better than sacrifice. God is looking for people who are obedient to His call and have faith that what He promised will come to pass. If we know God and have faith in Him, we can do great exploits because whatever God calls us to do is always beyond our abilities.

Faith is established on God’s calling and the Word that He has spoken to us personally. God gave Abraham an assignment when He spoke to him personally, asking him to leave his family and relatives, and a place of familiarity and comfort. By obeying without knowing where he was going, Abraham demonstrated his faith in God. When God calls us to do something, and the timing seems inconvenient and we find ourselves unwilling to leave our comfort zone, we will need faith to act too!

Another principle of faith is that we should not move unless the Word of God shows us the way. Unfortunately, many of us make decisions without seeking the Lord, and when we encounter difficulties and cry out to Him, we lack the faith and confidence that He will deliver us because there is no substance from the Word to anchor our faith on.

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The Word of God and clear calling is what gave Abraham the assurance and substance to his faith despite not knowing where he was going. Therefore, if we don’t have a Word from God, there is no anchor for us to hook our faith when it starts to waver.

Abraham was a pilgrim on a journey to a land that God had promised him, but He also believed that there would be a city with foundations whose builder and maker is God. Like Abraham, all of us are pilgrims and sojourners on this earth. We are to wait in expectation to reside in this city where God has prepared a mansion for us—our eternal home. While we are on this earth, there is a general call over our lives and a specific calling during the different seasons of our lives. Just like Abraham, we can live for the Lord by obeying our calling in faith.

Sermon Series: Faith Is Anchored in God’s Word