Abraham’s Journey of Faith: Trusting God Through Life’s Uncertain Path

Editor’s note – This reflection on Abraham and Noah reminds us that the life of faith is less a straight line than a series of pit-stops, disappointments, and hard-won lessons about trust. The author walks through both men’s stories to show how imperfect obedience and costly faithfulness both find their place in God’s larger purpose. We’re running her piece because it points past the road’s frustrations to the God who sets the pace. It leaves us with a quieter question: which companions has God placed in your life only for a season?

The Path Every Believer Walks

We are all travelers. All of us have at least one journey to complete. Just as Abraham, we have to leave the past behind and journey towards the future. God has a promised land for each one of us. Everyone has a purpose and place in God’s master plan. God placed it in our hearts before we were even born. We have to draw it out through prayer and by spending time in His presence. He says in His Word that He has set eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

We have a destiny, eternity with Him. We should, however, not be so focused on our destiny that we fail to enjoy the journey itself. It is a difficult journey that is often accompanied by pain, disappointment, patience, more patience, expectation and faith. However, it is also a journey with a lot of pit-stops along the way. There are times of refreshing, encouragement, and rest. It would be so much easier if we would only learn to follow God’s pace and to rest in Him. Look at what Paul wrote …

Romans 3:27-28: "We've finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade."

God told Abraham to leave his relatives behind, but he chose to ignore this command and took Lot with him. This decision caused him numerous headaches and unnecessary problems. However, God’s grace covers our “Lot decisions” as demonstrated in Abraham’s life. God blessed him despite his imperfect obedience.

Traveling Companions

All of us have traveling companions in our lives. Some people are there to shine a light on our paths for a very short period of time. Others are there for a specific task or season. Very few travel with us for the duration of our lives. In our short-sightedness we often try to hold on to those people whom God caused to walk with us for a little while to encourage us and help us. We do not want to accept that they were there only for a short time and for a particular reason. When we hold on when God tells us to let go, and when we choose our own companions, we create immeasurable heartache and problems for ourselves. Yes, it is of the utmost importance to pray for and about every acquaintance, colleague, friend, and relative. God has a purpose for bringing them into our lives, and we must be careful not to frustrate His plan by willfully attaching our own understanding and meaning to it.

It is good to live with an open hand and not to try and cling to anything or anyone God gave us. The more we try to hang on, the more we should realize that it is not God’s will for us. If it is His will, we won’t have to cling to it. We will never lose what God has given us, and if we desperately try to hold on to something He has declared over, we waste a lot of energy and often create a crisis of faith when things don’t work out the way we planned.

Abraham trusted in God and so did Jesus. Both trusted in God’s ability to provide in their daily needs. The Bible is filled with believers who trusted in God’s providential care.

Jesus did not cling to anything. He knew that His Father was faithful to daily supply His every need and provided the things that the day required. We must certainly learn to trust in God and not to grasp at everything and everyone our eyes see and our hearts desire. When we trust in God, we will never walk in darkness and uncertainty.

But I'll take the hand of those who don't know the way, who can't see where they're going. I'll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country. I'll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don't fall into the ditch. These are the things I'll be doing for them - sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute. [Isaiah 42:16]

Editor’s note – The call to hold people with an open hand is one of the harder lessons of walking with God. We often mistake a person’s presence in our life for permission to keep them there indefinitely, when God may have only assigned them to a season. Letting go isn’t unbelief; it’s trust that the God who brought them can also carry us without them. That kind of trust rarely feels natural, but it is what keeps friendship from becoming an idol.

Begin the Journey

God initiated Abraham’s journey by commanding him to move. Abraham did not know God very well at this stage. As his relationship with God developed, God revealed more of the journey to him. In the beginning Abraham did not know where he was going. He had to trust God every step of the way. Likewise, we start our journey with God when we accept Jesus as our Savior and the Living Water of God starts flowing inside of us. At this stage we do not know God very well, but we have at least learned to trust Him with our salvation. Trusting Him for our daily lives and needs takes a while longer. We can only manage that when we get better acquainted with Him, just as Abraham did.

Abraham had to discover that people could disappoint and hurt him. Lot’s presence created problems. They had to separate from each other. God did not plan for Lot to accompany Abraham at all, but because Abraham initially chose against God’s plan, he now had to pay a greater price. Lot had the first choice and he chose the best part of the land!

Abraham also had to learn that God is never limited by man. When somebody ill-treats us and chooses the best while leaving us with a very poor second choice, it does not mean that God’s blessings have suddenly dried up.

When somebody is blessed, it does not mean that God has to take (or steal) from one to give to another. God will never run out of resources and His blessings are unlimited. When we realize this, we will have peace and be happy for those who get blessed around us, without feeling jealous or envious, thinking that we will never be blessed ourselves. It is so easy to feel resentful or hurt when we have trusted God (for many years) and someone else receives the blessing we have been praying for! However, if we learn to trust God, we shall also inherit the best of the land as Abraham did, even though it may seem, at first, as if we are getting the short end of the stick.

Look Up

Abraham had to learn to look up. The first time he lifted up his eyes, he saw the land that God would give to him and his descendants. The second time he had to look up, he saw the mountain on which he had to sacrifice Isaac. On the mountain he looked up and did not only see the ram for the sacrifice, but he also saw the sacrifice that would give us eternal salvation. He saw the Lamb of God. As Abraham’s relationship with God deepened, and as he learned to look up, God revealed more of Himself and His promises to him. Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the Saviour, the Lamb of God, the Living Water, the true Vine.

Editor’s note – Abraham’s two upward glances – one toward the land, one toward the mountain where Isaac would be bound – trace the whole gospel in miniature. What began as a promise of inheritance ended in a picture of substitution. Our own eyes tend to stay fixed on the ground until God gives us reason to look up. Clear direction, it seems, usually comes only after we’re willing to lift our eyes first.

Water

Isn’t it interesting that Abraham and Lot had to separate because of a dispute over water supplies? Noah’s entire community was wiped out with water because of their sin. Jesus is the watershed, the great divide in our lives. We simply cannot persist in a life of sin and expect to suffer no consequences for it. The Living Water will destroy sin and wash it all away. We cannot escape the Living Water. We cannot ignore the Vine. A day will come in which we will have to account for our lives.

By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God. [Hebrews 11:7]

The Water will bring separation and we have to decide whether we will choose the best the world has to offer as Lot did (which will eventually all be destroyed with fire as Sodom and Gomorrah were), or whether we will trust God as Abraham did, and be refreshed with the Living Water. The world can be so appealing that we may risk our lives holding on to what we have. This is what Lot did. The angel had to take him by the hand and drag him away from his earthly possessions and his home. He did not want to leave. How often do we not finish our race, or fulfill our potential, or fail to become what God created us to be, simply because we are unwilling to uproot and leave the comfort zone of our temporary oasis behind us? It is human nature to set up camp where we feel comfortable and at home. We do not want to continuously live outside our comfort zones and face new challenges daily. It is simply not enjoyable to journey through the wilderness with God when we could relax and settle down at our little oasis. We are not likely to express it in words, but we often may wonder why God cannot stay with us where we feel secure. Why must we leave the safety of our homes behind to journey to a place that is unknown to us via a road that is uncomfortable at best? Just as the Israelites of old, we would also choose to stay in Egypt, rather than trudge our way through the desert.

The fire is also symbolic. The Word of God tells us that He is a consuming fire. He tears down everything that is not of Him. He tests our works. Whatever is not of Him will be destroyed, even though we ourselves may be saved, as through fire. The things that are of God will be purified as silver and gold. The things that are not of God, those that are of man, will be burned to ashes as wood, stubble or hay.

We have a choice. Our choice will determine whether we shall enjoy God’s blessings or not, but after we have chosen, we cannot escape the consequences of our decisions. Our choices determine the consequences. Choose God and receive His blessings. Choose the world and become separated from God. We can choose whether we want to receive blessings or not, but we cannot choose to escape the consequences of our decision.

Editor’s note – The parallel between Noah’s flood and Lot’s fire is worth reflecting on: both judgments came after long patience, and both spared a remnant who trusted God’s warning over their own eyes. It’s a sober reminder that the Living Water which refreshes also, in the end, exposes what was never meant to last.

Mercy

In spite of the sin in Sodom and Gomorrah, God was merciful to Lot and his family. Strictly speaking, God could have killed Lot together with all the other inhabitants of these cities. Lot wasn’t bound by chains. Nothing forced him to stay there. He could have left if he had wanted. He could have moved further into the land, or he could have come to an agreement with Abraham. He chose to live in Sodom. We often make the same mistake. We grow so accustomed to our circumstances that we fail to see the obvious solutions right in front of us. Sin becomes a comfort zone. It does not have to be our own sins, but the sin around us. We become so used to it that we do not even realize that it’s wrong. We feel at ease as long as it does not affect us directly. We forget that we are not placed on this Earth to live for ourselves alone. We forget that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives that should impact the lives of those around us.

If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight. I will always show you where to go. I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places - firm muscles, strong bones. You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. [Isaiah 58:10-11]

Editor’s note – It’s sobering how easily Lot’s story becomes our own. Comfort has a way of numbing us to compromise long before it ever looks like open rebellion. The mercy that pulled him out by the hand is the same mercy available to anyone still sitting comfortably in a place God never intended as a permanent home. It costs nothing to ask whether we’ve grown too settled somewhere God only meant as a waypoint.

Flaws

When last did you pray the prayer in Psalm 139? “Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; see for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong – then guide me on the road to eternal life” (v. 23-24). This is a prayer that we ought to pray regularly. If we are serious about our relationship with God, our future, and the meaning of our lives, we will not neglect to pray this prayer.

When you become born again, you do not automatically stop sinning. Your nature has changed. You are no longer a sinner in God’s eyes (Psalm 103:12), but you still sin. This is when God shows mercy, as He did for Lot, and saves you from the clutches of sin. An angel grabbed him by the hand and led him out of Sodom. The Word of God grabs hold of our hearts to lead us away from sin. 1 John 1:9 says: “On the other hand, if we admit our sins – make a clean breast of them – he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing.” That is all that is required.

God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it - no matter what. [Hebrews 4:12-13]

Abraham was not flawless. Of all the commands God gave him, he only fully obeyed one of them. Noah, however, fully obeyed God, but stumbled afterwards. The Bible says the following about Noah: “Noah was a good man, a man of integrity in his community. Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9).

Nevertheless, after God miraculously saved him in such a wonderful way, Noah became drunk from wine. God wants us to drink spiritual wine. We have to drink the Living Water of the Word so that it may become a fountain of Living Water that can flow to all those around us so that they too may discover the love and grace of God. A tree does not bear fruit for itself. The fruit is consumed by someone else. That’s its purpose. That is how the seed is spread. Jesus is our example. He is the true Vine. If we do not eat His body and drink His blood, there is no life within us. He did not eat or drink His own fruit. Likewise, we also have to bear fruit (which we can only do when we are part of the Vine) so that others may eat and be satisfied in Christ.

I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. [John 15:1-5]

Become a part of the true Vine

Jesus Himself said that we will not see the kingdom of God unless we are born again. We all get born once. That is when we become part of humanity here on Earth. Being born in the flesh is our passport declaring us legal citizens of planet Earth. Jesus Himself had to become flesh before He could lay down His life for all humankind. But it does not end there. Man was separated from God because of the sin Adam and Eve committed.

When we are born, we are thus born into a world that is separated from God. We are born into a place that is under the sway of the devil. We have to do something to be united with God and the true Vine. We have to be born again. What does it mean? Nicodemus was just as amazed about it when the Lord told him to be born again. How can a man, fully grown, enter the womb of his mother again (John 3:1-8)?

What then does it mean to be born again? It is really quite simple. We have to make a choice. Everything in life consist of choices. We have to choose whether we will accept Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. He became flesh. He was born just like we are, except that He, unlike us, was not born into sin. The blood of His Father is not the blood of a sinful man. Joseph was His earthly father, but God is His biological Father. As a sinless being He could pay the price for the sins of the world. We have to decide whether we will accept His offer and be united with God through Him. This decision will determine where we will spend eternity. All of us will live forever. Nobody can escape it. Our choice will determine whether we will spend eternity with God, or without Him and burn in Hell with Satan and his angels. It is your choice. What is your decision?

Say the welcoming word to God - 'Jesus is my Master' - embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not 'doing' anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: 'God has set everything right between him and me!' Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help. [Romans 10:9-10, 13]

A Word from the Editor
Abraham was given one full obedience; Noah gave many and still failed after his rescue. Neither man’s story is really about their performance. The stories about Abraham and Noah are not about these men; but about a God who keeps working with imperfect people who keep choosing to trust Him anyway. Paul says it plainly: we get in step with God by letting Him set the pace, not by running ahead in our own strength. Both remind us the point was never flawless performance but a willingness to keep walking. If you’re waiting on a promise that hasn’t come yet, or still learning what it costs to let go of a ‘Lot’ in your own life, take heart – the same grace that carried Abraham home is available to you today.

Editor Comment: You show that Abraham's obedience was never perfect, and that grace, not perfection, carried him toward the promise. Tying Noah's flood and Sodom's fire to the Living Water running through the piece gives readers a clear line from judgment to mercy.

This article appeared on Medium and is reprinted with modifications and by permission.