This post was last updated on January 30, 2026

Day 333, Year 1

Walk on the Path of the Unknown

“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.” (Hebrews 11:8 NASB)

The word “call” in the above verse, kaleo in Greek, also means “utter in a loud voice, to invite, or to call by name.” At the outset, Abraham heard God’s calling, then he obeyed and left his homeland (Genesis 12). From his experience, we can see the turning point of his life is being called and obeying God. In fact, the word “church” in the New Testament means the congregation called by God. Thus, being called by God to believe in Jesus is a common and fundamental experience for Christians. For us, this kind of being called by God can be through other media, such as being moved by the Bible, being called in gatherings, being invited by Him in prayers or worship, and so on.

“Obey” is the focus of the verse, and the Greek word hupakouo here also means “listen, be obedient to, or submit to.” Why would Abraham be told and obeyed to go somewhere he didn’t know? I believe that this is because he was so familiar with God and trusted in Him. Actually, he didn’t care about where exactly he had to go. As a result, he just followed the call to set out and didn’t mind how long the journey was ahead, or whether it might leave him destitute or die in a foreign land. He wanted to please God and go on the way he didn’t know. This reminds me of a small thing, when my daughter was very young. She loved being fed by her mother and liked to hold her food inside her mouth. More than once, when her mother said “open your mouth,” she just opened her mouth, and what she hadn’t swallowed would sometimes fall out in an instant. In fact, she trusted her mother very much. When she heard her mother’s words, she immediately did it, even letting the food in her mouth fall out.

You may say, “I don’t hear God’s word, but if I did, I’d be like Abraham and obey Him by faith.” If that’s the case, read everything God has commanded in the Bible, and just do it. Anyone who makes an effort to obey the Bible will soon be able to hear God’s voice. If we don’t care about how difficult God’s words are and practice them, we can be like Abraham, too. For example, we are not afraid of being destitute, dying in a foreign land, and so on. This kind of unconditional trust in God was Abraham’s faith and was always a prerequisite for justification through faith in Jesus. In fact, Abraham’s obedience to God’s calling preceded his later experience of being justified by faith.

Reflection questions:

1) Have you been called by God to believe in Jesus Christ, and are you ready to make major decisions according to His guidance?

2) Do you dare to do something as God wants you to do, even if you don’t know them very well? Why?