“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
— Hebrews 11:8 (NKJV)
Have you ever felt the stirring of a dream so real it shook you, but when you looked around, there was nothing in your present to prove it? That’s the very place Abraham began.
When God first called Abraham, there was no map, no contract, no set of step-by-step instructions. Just a word from God—and a decision. “Go… to a land I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1). No coordinates. No details. Just faith. And somehow, that was enough.
The Unseen Comes First
The greatest things in life do not begin with sight—they begin with faith. Abraham didn’t know the outcome. He didn’t know how long the journey would take. But he believed. He saw something, not with his eyes, but with his spirit.
God always starts with a call that requires trust. Before there’s fulfillment, there’s obedience. Before there’s arrival, there’s movement. And before there’s visibility, there’s vision.
Maybe you’re in that place right now—caught between the promise God gave you and the evidence you wish you could see. You may be asking:
“If God is with me, why is this so difficult?”
“Why haven’t I seen my vision come to pass?”
These are real questions. And Abraham could have asked the same. He left behind everything familiar. He endured the delay. He faced barrenness. He walked by faith for years before holding even a glimpse of God’s promise in his hands.
But this is how God works. He begins with the unseen.
Faith Isn’t Blind—It’s Focused
When Scripture says Abraham “went out, not knowing where he was going,” it doesn’t mean he wandered aimlessly. It means he trusted a Person more than a plan. His faith wasn’t blind; it was focused. Not on circumstances, but on God’s voice.
That same voice still calls to us today.
God doesn’t always explain Himself in the moment. He doesn’t lay out a blueprint for your life. But He does give you something better: His presence, His promise, and a vision for something eternal.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Trusting the Journey You Can’t See
Hebrews 11 is often called the “Hall of Faith,” but it’s not a list of easy stories—it’s a record of people who trusted God through difficulty, delay, and unanswered questions. Abraham stands among them because he believed what he could not yet see.
What about you?
Maybe your surroundings say one thing, but your spirit is echoing another. Maybe you feel like Abraham, called but not confirmed. Moving, but not arriving. Believing, but not yet receiving.
If so, take heart. The greatest things in your life are not yet seen. That doesn’t make them less real. It means God is still building.
Abraham’s life is proof that walking by faith doesn’t mean you’ll live in lack. In fact, Abraham became one of the wealthiest men of his time. Genesis 13:2 tells us, “Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.” He and his nephew Lot’s herds grew so large that the land could no longer support both of them, and they had to separate. (Genesis 13:5-13). He had 314 servants and herdsmen. When four attacking kings took Lot and five neighboring kings captive, Abraham was able to conquer them and set the captives free. (Genesis 14:15-17).
But despite his impressive material prosperity, the unseen blessings in his life were far greater. God imputed his righteousness to him (Genesis 15:6) and the Bible says he became God became his friend. (James 2:23). Abraham received the Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:14), was called a prophet and ministered God’s healing power to Abimelech and his entire house! (Genesis 20:17). Abraham received a son from God (Isaac). When the Lord called Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, he referred to Isaac as “your only son Isaac, whom you love.” (Genesis 22:3).
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
Your Step of Faith Is Not Wasted
Every step Abraham took brought him closer, not just to a physical land, but to a deeper trust in the God who called him. And that same God is working in you, even in the unseen.
So don’t let the silence shake you. Don’t let the wait define you. Don’t let what you can’t see discourage you.
You were never called to walk by sight. You were called to walk by faith. And in that journey, the unseen becomes the most powerful evidence of all.