Hebrews 11:8

Hebrews 11:8 says, By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.  I am going to look at these four verses that speak of Abraham and Sarah as a separate unit.  I believe that there are several things we can learn from them.  Abraham was called by God.  He did not just go seeking for and find God.  When we come to God, it will always be because He reached out to us.  Abraham did leave his home at God's urging and head for a home he knew nothing about.  He did not leave all his kindred though, as God had instructed him to do.  This would cause several problems for him later on.  I believe that what we need to understand is that we cannot modify God's directions to us without creating problems.  Still, Abraham is known as one of the great men of faith.  

Verse nine adds, By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:  Abraham lived in the promised land, not as an everlasting home, but as one who was a sojourner in the land.  We will always be simply passing through this world.  This world is not our home.  Abraham lived in tabernacles, or tents, always ready to move on.  He lived until Isaac was seventy-five and Jacob was fifteen.  They were the heirs of the promise of God that He would make from Abraham a great nation, but even in that promise Abraham was not content to wait on God.  This caused even more problems for Abraham and the world since.  

Verse ten continues, For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  Abraham looked ahead to that city that has an everlasting foundation, whose builder and maker is God.  No matter how impressive we may make a house today, from an everlasting perspective, it is no better than a tent.  Yet, we sometimes put more emphasis and spend more time and money on these houses than we do on the things of God.  

Verse eleven states, Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.  Sarah had a child well after she was past the age to have a child, because she judged God faithful to fulfill His promise.  This was not until she had made her own plan to fulfill God's promise though.  We cannot fulfill God's promises by our own actions but must wait by faith for Him to fulfill them.  

Verse twelve adds, Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.  God abundantly fulfilled His promise to Abraham, and He will always fulfill all His promises to us, His followers.  We already have everlasting life through our faith in Christ, and the things of this world should cease to have priority in our lives.  We must always put God first and follow His plan for our lives.