What does faith, focused on its object—your Father in Heaven—look like in real life? Scripture says that one patriarch of our faith, Abraham, believed God, packed his U-Haul camels, and left home, “…not knowing where he was going” (ref. Hebrews 11:8). Better think about that for a moment.

If you are a husband, imagine selling this mystery move to your wife: “Dear, I believe God told me….”

“Where to?” she asks.

“Well, good question. I don’t know exactly.”

If you are a wife, think about buying into this move—because your husband believes God told him to move. Envision trekking to the liquor stores in search of boxes to move…. Don’t know where.

We know the end of the story, and that helps [us] immensely. Abraham makes it to the Promised Land and the rest is history. It’s a great Bible story!

But Abraham didn’t know the end of the story. He left home not knowing.

Ready for another dose of forged faith?

After detailing a formidable list of faith all-stars, chapter eleven of Hebrews draws to a close (v.39) with this verse: “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised.”

Bad ending to the story, huh?

All these great folks—believing folks—listed over the space of thirty-eight verses and hundreds of years, died without receiving what God promised them.

It’s under these circumstances that superficial, self-serving faith withers and true faith is forged.

Forged into what?

Next blog? Faith that has been forged is the definition of trust.