By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise (Hebrews 11.8-9)

As youngsters, we all enjoyed reading the exciting adventures of our heroes: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, or The Adventures of Superman or Spiderman. Or how about Indiana Jones and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”? There’s just something exciting about adventures, and I am sure we’ve all had a few, even in our own personal lives!

Abraham had his adventure too! He was called to go somewhere he had never been. In that day, most people seldom traveled fifty miles away from where they were born, and only if they were driven away by drought or foes.

Abraham’s adventure took him along the Fertile Crescent from the present day Kuwait to modern day Israel, well over seven hundred miles of rugged terrain. With confidence in the Lord he believed he could face any challenge that confronted him. Although he faltered a few times when he lied to protect himself, God counted his faith for righteousness.

True faith means we recognize and embrace our pilgrimage in this life no matter what we may face. Abraham left the comforts of the big city for tents. He faced unfriendly people, and unknown dangers. Little did he know that he would have to gather an army to rescue his nephew from slavery or save his life. Nor did he know that he would be called upon to offer his son as a burnt offering.

He realized his commitment to the Lord meant performing unknown duties and performing hidden tasks; believing in God meant he had the courage to face the unknown.

Abraham lived a life of faith and he is referred to as the father of the faithful (Rom. 4.16), and he was called “a friend of God” (James 2.23).  May we embrace the adventure of faith and we will be equally rewarded.

We do not know what life will be like today or tomorrow as James says (4.13), but we who believe, trust in the Lord to provide for our every need, to care for us in times of difficulty, and to carry us to heaven in the end of our journey. All He asks is that we embrace the adventure of faith! [-Adapted, BTW]