I Don’t Know Where I am Going (Hebrews 11:8)
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Abraham's willingness to step into the unknown is a powerful lesson in trusting God. And he did it by faith. Faith often requires us to leave our comfort zones, and to embrace uncertainty with the assurance that God is leading us to a promised future.
The author of Hebrews gives us Abraham as an example of faith that accepts God at His word and acts even though there is nothing he could see or know that affirmed God’s word would be fulfilled.
Abraham heard God, and obeyed- he took action, and he marched into the unknown. He walked off his map. He left his comfort zone to become a stranger in a strange land.
And he obeyed immediately. The text says that “when called he obeyed and went”. The word of direction from God was still ringing in his ears when he obeyed and did what God told him to do. No hesitation, no waiting, no “I’ll think about it”, but hearing the call and obeying by going out. This is what faith looks like.
He obeyed what God told him to do without knowing the details.
By faith Abraham embraced uncertainty. He went out from everything that was comfortable and predictable, to follow God.
Abraham walked away from his plan to follow God’s plan. And he did not know where he was going. That is also the way it is for me. That’s actually the way it has been and will be for all of us.
Abraham's willingness to step into the unknown is a powerful lesson in trusting God. And he did it by faith. Faith often requires us to leave our comfort zones, and to embrace uncertainty with the assurance that God is leading us to a promised future.
The author of Hebrews gives us Abraham as an example of faith that accepts God at His word and acts even though there is nothing he could see or know that affirmed God’s word would be fulfilled.
Abraham heard God, and obeyed- he took action, and he marched into the unknown. He walked off his map. He left his comfort zone to become a stranger in a strange land.
And he obeyed immediately. The text says that “when called he obeyed and went”. The word of direction from God was still ringing in his ears when he obeyed and did what God told him to do. No hesitation, no waiting, no “I’ll think about it”, but hearing the call and obeying by going out. This is what faith looks like.
He obeyed what God told him to do without knowing the details.
By faith Abraham embraced uncertainty. He went out from everything that was comfortable and predictable, to follow God.
Abraham walked away from his plan to follow God’s plan. And he did not know where he was going. That is also the way it is for me. That’s actually the way it has been and will be for all of us.
Just like Abraham, I can also say “I don’t know where I am going”.
God might make some changes in our lives or allow others to make changes. God might allow us to get hurt or get sick and our life might feel like it has been turned upside down and we say, “this is not what I planned on”. And suddenly we are off the map and don’t know where we are going or where our present circumstances will lead us.
Like Abraham, as believers, we must walk, following God, not knowing where we are going.
But we can be encouraged that not knowing where we are going is actually the normal Christian life! Second Corinthians 5:7 says “For we walk by faith, not by sight”.
And Proverbs 3:5 and 6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths”.
And what does the Bible say about our plans? Proverbs 16:9 says: “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
We commonly ask each other, “what are your plans?” We do have plans, but we must be sensitive to God’s different plans for us.
I will make my plans but the Lord directs my steps.
When I was a teenager and a young adult and was not an obedient Christian, I really struggled and was very mixed up and very unhappy. After I finally graduated college, none of my plans were working out. But, a different plan was presented to me that I had not thought of.
That plan was to move in with my 80 year old widowed grandmother and take care of her for the last 10 years of her life. And I am so glad that I did.
As soon as I started doing that, a job I was not looking for found me. I started my job at KUSC.
And I did not plan to wait get married until I was 41 years old, but I am so glad I did. My parents were 24 and 26 when they got married, and throughout my 30’s I really wondered if I would ever find the person who would be my wife. But about 6 months after my dad died in 2001, I met Janine. I am so glad I waited for a wife from the Lord.
I did not plan to work for the same employer for 39 years, but I am glad I did. In the 1990’s I went through education and training for two other careers, but I stayed with my radio job and am glad I did.
I did not plan to wait to get baptized the proper way until I was 63 years old, but I am very glad that I finally did. I was involved with 7 different churches in my life who had different ideas about baptism and I was basically deceived and very stubborn. This is my testimony: Before I was baptized properly, my vision was blurred, but now I can see clearly. I am now on a different path.
Abraham obeyed God even though he did not know where it would lead. He actually had no idea. Not knowing where you are going means uncertainty and risk, which is the nature of faith involved in trusting God. No one is given all the details about how things will play out, but all believers are required to trust God, step by step.
We are to follow God and be obedient to Him and trust Him, even when we do not understand.
A prayer I have prayed is “I don’t understand, but I trust you”.
We know that we are saved by grace through faith, and faith is always an action. Faith is not an intellectual thing, but must be demonstrated. Abraham had to leave his home to be faithful.
“By faith” means that we trust God and His word over our circumstances.
Faith is not blind optimism, but confidence in God based on God’s character.
The root, or source of our faith, is in God’s character.
Living by faith is the normal Christian life.
Living by faith is to surrender our illusion that we are in control.
Living by faith means that we follow God into the unknown, valuing the King more than the need to know how our lives will play out.
Today (11/5/25) was my last day at KUSC radio. I am retiring after 39 years there. Some people have asked “what are your plans?” And I mostly hem and haw saying we will travel a bit, and work on honey-do projects, and read more. But what I am thinking is I will have time for people God brings into my life, and behind that is the fact that I know and believe God always has plans for me, and I want to avail myself to His plans.
Let’s read Hebrews 11:8 again:
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Just like Abraham, the man of faith, I am by faith stepping into a new season of my life, and I invite all of you, to follow God into the unknown, just as Abraham did.
God might make some changes in our lives or allow others to make changes. God might allow us to get hurt or get sick and our life might feel like it has been turned upside down and we say, “this is not what I planned on”. And suddenly we are off the map and don’t know where we are going or where our present circumstances will lead us.
Like Abraham, as believers, we must walk, following God, not knowing where we are going.
But we can be encouraged that not knowing where we are going is actually the normal Christian life! Second Corinthians 5:7 says “For we walk by faith, not by sight”.
And Proverbs 3:5 and 6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths”.
And what does the Bible say about our plans? Proverbs 16:9 says: “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
We commonly ask each other, “what are your plans?” We do have plans, but we must be sensitive to God’s different plans for us.
I will make my plans but the Lord directs my steps.
When I was a teenager and a young adult and was not an obedient Christian, I really struggled and was very mixed up and very unhappy. After I finally graduated college, none of my plans were working out. But, a different plan was presented to me that I had not thought of.
That plan was to move in with my 80 year old widowed grandmother and take care of her for the last 10 years of her life. And I am so glad that I did.
As soon as I started doing that, a job I was not looking for found me. I started my job at KUSC.
And I did not plan to wait get married until I was 41 years old, but I am so glad I did. My parents were 24 and 26 when they got married, and throughout my 30’s I really wondered if I would ever find the person who would be my wife. But about 6 months after my dad died in 2001, I met Janine. I am so glad I waited for a wife from the Lord.
I did not plan to work for the same employer for 39 years, but I am glad I did. In the 1990’s I went through education and training for two other careers, but I stayed with my radio job and am glad I did.
I did not plan to wait to get baptized the proper way until I was 63 years old, but I am very glad that I finally did. I was involved with 7 different churches in my life who had different ideas about baptism and I was basically deceived and very stubborn. This is my testimony: Before I was baptized properly, my vision was blurred, but now I can see clearly. I am now on a different path.
Abraham obeyed God even though he did not know where it would lead. He actually had no idea. Not knowing where you are going means uncertainty and risk, which is the nature of faith involved in trusting God. No one is given all the details about how things will play out, but all believers are required to trust God, step by step.
We are to follow God and be obedient to Him and trust Him, even when we do not understand.
A prayer I have prayed is “I don’t understand, but I trust you”.
We know that we are saved by grace through faith, and faith is always an action. Faith is not an intellectual thing, but must be demonstrated. Abraham had to leave his home to be faithful.
“By faith” means that we trust God and His word over our circumstances.
Faith is not blind optimism, but confidence in God based on God’s character.
The root, or source of our faith, is in God’s character.
Living by faith is the normal Christian life.
Living by faith is to surrender our illusion that we are in control.
Living by faith means that we follow God into the unknown, valuing the King more than the need to know how our lives will play out.
Today (11/5/25) was my last day at KUSC radio. I am retiring after 39 years there. Some people have asked “what are your plans?” And I mostly hem and haw saying we will travel a bit, and work on honey-do projects, and read more. But what I am thinking is I will have time for people God brings into my life, and behind that is the fact that I know and believe God always has plans for me, and I want to avail myself to His plans.
Let’s read Hebrews 11:8 again:
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Just like Abraham, the man of faith, I am by faith stepping into a new season of my life, and I invite all of you, to follow God into the unknown, just as Abraham did.
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