Geography plays an important role in our destiny. Those who are mindful of fulfilling their purpose and becoming their best for God must pay close attention to geography. It is not enough to know what God would have you do, you must press to know where He would have you do it. A right purpose set out at a wrong location will be reduced to irrelevance. In our text, Abram was instructed to leave one location for another that God would show him. That instruction came with a promise. In subsequent verses, God promised that in the new location, He would make Abram a great nation, bless and make him a blessing. All that played out for Abram and his descendants.
Both the understanding of purpose and geography are tied to the ability to hear God. In our text, God told Abram to get out of his native country to another. That other country was not immediately known; it came through gradual disclosure as Abram obeyed God one instruction at a time. The issue is, what if Abram could not hear God? He would not have become the father of faith that we call him today. Ability to hear God is very important for those who will walk with Him. Apart from offering direction, what God says is basis for authentic intercession. Earnest supplication starts after one has heard from God. Also, it is within the context of what God says that we find clues and instructions to simplify tasks and solve problems confronting us. Finally, hearing God is proof of acquaintanceship. The more acquainted we get with God, the more we can pick His voice.