“Living by faith is not for the faint of heart, but for the pure of heart.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 18, 2026
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. Hebrews 11:8
Abraham didn’t have a map. He relied on a voice, and that was enough. He packed his family, gathered his flocks, said farewell to the familiar, and headed toward a horizon he couldn’t see because the One calling him forward was more trustworthy than any destination he could have chosen. This embodies the essence of living by faith: not knowing exactly where you’re being led but trusting completely in Who you’re following. Faith expects eternal outcomes.
This was the verse the Lord used to clarify His call on my life to dedicate myself to ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ. My wife Rita and I, with our infant daughter, traveled to Texas for graduate school. A little scared? Yes, but confident in the Lord’s call to follow His direction.
God is always a step ahead on the path of His will, like an experienced guide who has walked the trail countless times. He doesn’t reveal the full route at once. Instead, He shows you the next step, invites you to take it, and then illuminates the way to the following one. This isn’t due to carelessness; it’s intentional discipleship. He isn’t withholding information to frustrate you but is shaping in you something no clearly marked map could— a trust so deeply rooted through repeated experience that His voice becomes clearer and more trustworthy.
Living by faith is not always what we imagine it to be. It’s not always fun, but it is fulfilling. It’s not always exciting, but it is engaging. It’s not always easy, but it is honorable. It’s not always safe, but it is secure. It’s not always clear, but it is rewarding. The gap between how faith feels and what it produces is where character is quietly built. Sarah laughed at the promise of a child in her old age and then held that child in her arms. She considered God faithful, and He delivered exactly what He promised, on His timeline and in His way.
Living by faith is not for the faint of heart. The moment you decide to follow Jesus above all other voices, you’ll realize how loud those other voices become. An unscrupulous acquaintance might lead you to a foolish financial decision. A well-meaning friend might suggest a career path that seems sensible but feels uneasy in your spirit. Competing voices are persistent and often sound reasonable. The discipline of faith is learning to bring every voice before the Lord first—listening to Him before acting on anyone else’s advice, no matter how sincere.
This is the pattern of Hebrews 11: ordinary men and women making extraordinary choices, not based on what they could see but on who they knew. Not one of them received the full picture in advance. Every single one of them took the next step in the dark and found the ground solid beneath their feet. So keep showing up. Keep praying. Keep your eyes fixed on the One whose countenance cares — who laughs when you laugh and weeps when you weep. Faith living wisely waits and boldly moves when Christ calls. The prize is not a destination. It is the pleasure of your heavenly Father, whose reward for faithful obedience surpasses anything the journey cost.
“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:20-21).
Prayer
Lord, where are You calling me that requires me to trust You beyond what I can see? Give me the faith of Abraham to go, the patience of Sarah to wait, and the courage of Moses to choose You over every comfortable alternative. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Application
Identify one area of your life where God has been calling you forward, but you have been waiting for more clarity before obeying. Write it down, pray over it specifically this week, and take one concrete step of obedience — trusting that the God who called Abraham into the unknown is the same God walking ahead of you on that path today.
Related Reading
Habakkuk 2:4; Acts 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:7; James 2:17-18
Worship Resource
Gaither Music: Living by Faith
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