When the Lord spoke to Abram - who was later called Abraham - He gave him a very clear command and then spoke of the reward His servant would receive if he listened to Him. Those who are always willing to obey God discover that they have received much more than they asked or thought. The Creator's words are mandatory. He knows what we are and what we can do, so we must always heed His voice.

         Abraham had the task of moving away from his land and the customs that his people practiced and thought were perfect and good. Certainly, his acquaintances and those who knew of his existence would not understand how a prosperous man would abandon everything and go to an unknown place. We know nothing about Abraham's faith in the Lord or what he understood about the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Everything indicated that he did not accept idolatry in Ur.

           Today, it is possible for Christians to live even in cities where the minority, or almost no one, knows the Gospel. Even a new convert can have a Bible and learn to walk in the presence of God. In Abraham's day, idolatry prevailed, mixed with witchcraft. We don't know if that's why the patriarch was told to leave his country. Today, there are servants of God practically everywhere in the world.

           Abraham had to leave the midst of his kindred, because his mission would be fulfilled far away. He followed God's instructions and, bid everyone farewell, gathered his young wife, a nephew he was raising and his father, as well as the servants he had, and left. Abraham didn't think about where he would end up or the people he would meet. He acted out of faith in the Almighty!

         Some of his relatives probably advised him not to go out into the world, because it is evil and dangerous, and his decision might have been hasty. But he didn't want to listen to anyone, because he was sure that God had called him. When we are convinced that we have been given a blessing, we also have to confess it in faith, without wavering. The Bible teaches us: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope, without wavering for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).

         Abraham had to leave his father's house, but not his father-in-law. He accompanied him to Haran, which was not yet his final destination, and died there. The patriarch was 75 years old when he left Haran and followed the direction of Heaven. In his faith, he heard God say to him: Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I will give it to you” (Genesis 13:17). Walking by faith is rewarding!

         The journey was coming to an end. Abraham would only have to walk the length and breadth of the land, because the place where he set foot would be his. One day, we will hear Jesus tell us: “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’” (Matthew 25:34).

           In Christ, with love,

           R. R. Soares