WHERE ARE WE GOING?

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call of God and walked toward a country he was to receive as a promise and inheritance. He left and walked by faith, not knowing where he was going (see Genesis 12:1).

Can you imagine the conversation that must have gone on between Abraham and his lovely wife, Sarah, as this wild adventure began? Abraham was successful, prosperous, and well established in his community. He and Sarah had worked hard, and they were enjoying the fruit of their efforts. After all, it was well-deserved, right?

As Sarah looked at her husband one evening, she noticed that he seemed pensive and somewhat emotional. He hadn’t said a word since he came home.

“What’s the matter, honey? You know you can tell me anything,” Sarah whispered.

Abraham blurted out, “I have been in prayer for many months about this and I have this deep conviction, this impression that I can’t get out of my mind that we must leave, get out of my father’s house, leave everything we know. And I feel that as we do this and obey God, we will be blessed.”

If you are married, you can imagine the scene and almost hear the conversation that followed! “What do you mean, we are leaving? We are happy here! It’s safe! I like it here! You know, as I do, the horrors that are taking place in the heathen towns around us!”

Abraham answered the best he could, “God is leading us, Sarah. I know it. I have built an altar to Him and I am serious. We have to go!”

As Abraham kept repeating, “We have to go, we are to go,” all of a sudden Sarah asked, “Where are we going?” Silence. Then he answered sheepishly, “Well, that is the exciting part! God has not told me where yet!”

The father of faith walked, not knowing where he was going!

Claude Houde, lead pastor of Eglise Nouvelle Vie (New Life Church) in Montreal, Canada, is a frequent speaker at the Expect Church Leadership Conferences conducted by World Challenge throughout the world. Under his leadership New Life Church has grown from a handful of people to more than 3500 in a part of Canada with few successful Protestant churches.