Trusting God When It Seems Impossible
Earlier this month I recorded a guest appearance for a podcast that aired today. And on the day it aired, a friend happened to call me with a question regarding the same Bible passage the podcast focused on.
Hmmm . . . the topic is a difficult one: How could a compassionate God ask His follower to sacrifice—literally!—his own child? And further, how could we trust a God who would ask such a thing?
The passage in question is Genesis 22:1-14 (ESV), and it begins with a simple statement: “After these things God tested Abraham.”
Tested. The Lord placed Abraham in this position to determine one thing: Was there anything or anyone who competed with God for first place in Abraham’s heart?
For Abraham, the potential for making his son into an idol was real. For twenty-five long years, Abraham had waited for God to fulfill His promise. And when Abraham finally held that baby in his arms, you just know baby Isaac instantly became his pride and joy.
So to be asked to sacrifice his son went beyond the most difficult thing Abraham could imagine. Yet he set out in complete obedience, trusting God in the most difficult thing he would ever be called to do.
What about you and me today? Has God asked us to do the impossible? And in the process, is God working in us to trust Him when every natural inclination we have is screaming, “NO!”?
Check out the podcast conversation and leave a comment here on the blog!
Faith Over Fear: Resting in the God Who Provides
God can be trusted for eternal life and for today! So powerful and so true! God taught Abraham to trust HIM and if we let HIM, God will teach us also – and what a teacher!
Ava I enjoyed listening to your podcast and I thank God for your wisdom and strength and your dedication to HIM and HIS Word.
Thank you for your kind encouragement, Loretta!
I am thankful we can place our trust in God. He never fails us. Great podcast Ava.
I’m far from home today, on top of a mountain caring for our youngest grandchild with my husband. Our son is scaling a peak, and we’re giving him the break he needs. The events in his life since last year have tested and tried our faith. We must trust the Lord with our son and with his son, our grandson. Their life has been turned upside down. They’re in the Lord’s hands. This we have given into God’s hands repeatedly.
It is so beautiful to think about how much we can trust God with all our today’s, tomorrow’s and all eternity. Great post Ava with wonderful encouragement.
I have sometimes balked at testing I experience, but I have learned over the years to understand this is GOOD and look for the lessons within. Thank you, Ava!
Ava, I like your point on how Abraham could have easily made his son into an idol after waiting so long for a child. The Lord often brings a testing time into our lives to see if anything is in top spot besides Him.