The Impossible Task, Part 4 – Hebrews 11:17-19

In the actual account of God testing Abraham in Genesis 22:3, Abraham shows no reluctance or compromise to obeying God’s command to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice. By faith, he simply did as God told him to do so. Although God eventually provided a sacrifice in place of Isaac, Abraham- along with all other faithful men and women in the Bible- was ready to obey to the end because he had tasted the mercy and grace of God. (Gen 22:3) This is the case for all Christians. As they experience God’s love and forgiveness in light of their sinfulness, they are willing to obey God no matter the cost.

Trusting God is at the heart of faith. When an individual trusts God, he puts his whole confidence in Him. Since God alone has the power to control one’s destiny, to depend on anyone or anything apart from God inevitably leads to disappointment. If you realize that only God is able to rightly guide you and make your life, you will depend on Him in complete surrender. This is how Abraham was able to obey- he trusted God and His promises and thereby placed everything in God’s hands. Let’s take a closer look at the nature of trusting God in faith-

Trusting God’s Word
The central tenet of Christian faith is trust in the Bible. We read and study the Bible in order to know God’s promises and claim them by faith daily. What place does the Word of God have in your life? When you undergo a trial, two things will collide- what Scripture says and how you feel. Difficulties can often cause you to cave into your emotions, making God look smaller and circumstances bigger. They lead to disappointment, and rather than being controlled by God’s Word, you become run by emotions. How can we handle trials faithfully? We must depend on the God of the Bible. The Bible is the only way to deal with our fleeting emotions. Feelings are not truth- feelings come and go, and they often cloud faith. Just as Abraham trusted God’s Word over his emotions and circumstances, we too must walk by the truth. Life is full of trials and unexpected turns, but those who trust in the Word of God are set free from its anxieties to experience true everlasting joy. (Is 55:11; 2Tim 2:9)

Trusting God
Abraham trusted God as he considered God. He abided in God’s promises, and knew that God is able to do all things, even raise the dead to life. Faith engages the mind with the truth of God, leading to a surrendered heart to the One who is sovereign and good. (Rom 12:2)

How did Abraham consider God?
Abraham considered the wisdom of God. God’s wisdom is infinite and unfathomable. We must not dishonor God by assuming that He is like us, or that His ways are like our ways. Let us put off this thinking and know truly know the Lord by reading the Bible. (Rom 8:28)

Abraham considered God’s unfailing love. God is not some mechanical, unfeeling deity. He is full of love, and He showed His love to the fullest by sending Jesus into the world in order that we might be saved. The greatest blessing that flows from God’s love for you is not money, success, or the comforts of the world- one can have all these without knowing salvation. The best gift of God’s love is salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. If we have Christ, we have everything. (Rom 8:32)

Abraham considered God’s power and sovereignty. Nothing can hinder God’s good purposes. There is a prevailing peace in knowing that God is sovereign, and He is all wise and full of love. After Abraham was promised that he would be a father of many nations through his son Isaac, he was confident in God’s power that even if Isaac were to be sacrificed, God would be able to raise him from the dead in order to fulfill His promise. We can trust God because He is able to do what He determines to do in His wisdom and love. (Lk 1:37)

As you consider Abraham’s faith, examine yourself to see whether you have willingly laid down the Isaacs of your life. Jesus demands nothing less as we are called to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, and follow Him. (Matt 16:24)