“Abraham departed.” You will understand in the story of Abraham why God greatly magnified him. He, to this day, is used as an example of faith, he is the father of faith (in the Bible) and friend of God. Many people, nowadays, have much more access to what he had and do not advance as he did.

“So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.”
(Genesis 12:4).

Abraham had not heard about God until he was 75 years old. He didn’t go to church. He had not read the Bible, because it had not yet been written. He hadn’t heard some preacher. He had no children and did not want to impose on his wife Sara the double shame of not having children and of having to deal with a second wife (as was the custom at the time).

And God called him only once. It was something unthinkable at that time, because it was not customary for children to leave their parents’ home. However, Abraham had no difficulty leaving. He went without question, without a map in his hand, without physical proof to show to others. Imagine Abraham saying to his father, “I’m leaving.” And his father: “where to?” And he: “I don’t know”. Then, the father replies: “but you are my heir”. And Abraham: “God called me, father.” And the father asks: “What God is this?” And Abraham: “I don’t have His image.”

Nothing took this conviction of faith from Abraham’s mind, because when God speaks to us, it is different. Abraham had no difficulty leaving (and he had no difficulty about anything about God). He had no difficulty leaving his nephew Lot. Going from Egypt to Mount Moriah. He had no difficulty taking his son Isaac for sacrifice. But there are many who are bound by the things of this world. Abraham left his father, who was an idolater. How would Abraham follow God in an idolatrous home? Faith makes us place God above everything.

There are people who believe in God, but they also believe in religions, in superstitions, in customs, in horoscopes, in the stick around the neck, in the horseshoe behind the door, in their own ideologies, in sin. They do not leave the things of this world behind. Every time Abraham received an order from God, he depart.

People are not capable of letting go, for example, of personal dreams that take the place of God. Abraham had to take Isaac for sacrifice so that his son would not take God’s place in Abraham’s heart.

The only place Abraham never departed from, was the Altar. And that’s why Abraham got where he did.

Live this faith too.

Check out the full message in the video below: