God spoke his word to Abram and commanded him to go from his country, his relatives and his father's house to the land that God would show him. In doing this, God was requiring Abram to do something that was very scary--to leave everything that in the ancient world was the source of security, status, success and satisfaction. Stephen in Acts 7 and the writer of Hebrews in his 11th chapter tell us that Abram did not receive in his lifetime the things promised, that he left not knowing where he was going, and that he, and all his descendants who believed in God for salvation were strangers and exiles on the earth. Faith in God means a way of life that is scary, but it is truly a life of faith in God; it casts us back on God, not ourselves. Abram is able to answer this call and obey this command because he received God's word.