Facing the GIANTS: Interviews with the Heroes of our Faith - Abraham

Welcome to Facing the Giants: Interviews with the Heroes of Our Faith.

Today we are talking to Abraham. Let’s see what he has to tell us about faith.

LA: Mr. Abraham, sir, as I recall you were a transplant to the land of Canaan. How did all that come about?

Abraham: I was living in Ur, which is a really long way from Canaan. My family was pretty happy and doing right well for ourselves. We worshipped our gods and offered all the right sacrifices. Things were going good for us. Then, I heard about a new god. I don’t even recall how I heard about this God, but something inside of me said, “This God is the one true God.” Really? I did not even know I was dissatisfied with the gods of my fathers.

LA: So are you telling me that you were not a worshiper of Yahweh, the one true God, yet you somehow knew that all the gods of your people could not satisfy the way Yahweh could?

Abraham: I know, it sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Yet, the more I learned about God, the more convinced I became that He was IT. I even began praying to Him and asking Him to reveal Himself to me. Boy, oh, boy, you better be careful about what you ask for, missy.

LA: Um, yessir.

LA: Back to Canaan. How did you get to Canaan?

Abraham: Yes, Canaan. Well, one day I had been praying to God and asking Him to reveal Himself to me and suddenly I heard Him say to me in my heart, “Leave here. Go to a place I will show you. I will bless you if you believe me enough to go.”

LA: What did you do?

Abraham: Well, I figured that I had been asking God to reveal Himself and now that maybe He had, I’d better do as He asked. I knew that it would not be a popular decision with the missus. She, too, had become a follower of Yahweh, but picking up and moving away from everything we knew and loved…..well that was gonna be a stretch for her.

Leah’s personal photo from Israeli desert

LA: Did God tell you where to go? Did He give you a map? How in the world did you know where to go?

Abraham: No, He did not tell me where I was going and He did not give me a map. After we packed up the camels and hit the road, I got up each morning and spent time talking to God and listening for what He might say about where we were going that day. Some days we would travel, but some days we rested. People thought we were crazy. I guess they had good reason, but I knew in my heart that I was doing what God asked and that He would take care of me and my family.

LA: Really?

Abraham: Yes, ma’am. I’ve never been more confident of anything in my life. As long as I was obedient to what God told me to do, He promised to bless me. I staked my entire life and future on it.

LA: So, faithful obedience is your legacy, Mr. Abraham. Sounds like something that I want as part of my legacy. Thank you for your time today. I hope you will visit with us again.

MEDITATION MOMENT: Think of a time when God asked you to step out in faith and do something that seemed crazy or impossible. How did you know it was God asking you to do it? What was the outcome? Share your experience with us.

Interested in considering your legacy in a deeper way? Check out my Bible study here.