The Crucible of Faith

There is an old Quaker saying from one neighbor to the next, "Show me thy need, and I will show thee how to live without it!" Well, it's a little cold but certainly demonstrates an attitude of frugality. Really, it helps you to stop and think about "real" needs in your life. How about you, neighbor -- do you have "real" needs in your life? What are they?

In this fallen world needs abound. You have basic needs for food, shelter, and clothing. You need employment to support yourself and possibly your family. School children are exposed at a very early age to tragic issues of drugs, sex, abuse, homosexuality, and other immoral world views. These are things which you want to protect children from rather than put them in the fire. On top of this, germs seem to be converging on us, wearing us down with illness after illness. The news is full of depressing stories: lies that people tell, corruption in government, murders, adultery, and wars. All of these things create various needs in our life for security, provision, and love.

How many of you would list "faith" as a primary need? Can you live in a fallen world without faith? Can you honestly hope for a better future without faith? Faith is necessary to endure the difficulties, the trials, and the suffering. From the previous list, it seems that you need GREAT faith! God knows that your deepest need to live in this fallen world is faith. Faith in the LORD Jesus Christ to bring you into an eternal relationship with God. Faith also empowers your obedience to His will. The faith that God knows you need is a growing, developing, maturing faith in Him.

Scripture Passage: Genesis 22:1-19
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Main Thought: Your faith in God develops and matures through confidence in His provision for your every need. By developing confidence in God to provide for your every need, you can confidently walk with God, even "through the valley of the shadow of death." Like Abraham:

You develop confidence in God's character through remembrance of His faithfulness to do all that He promises.

You develop confidence in God's provision through believing the promises of God.

You develop confidence in God's wisdom through obedience at all cost.

"And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." (Genesis 22:5, NKJV)

1. You develop confidence in God's character through remembrance of His faithfulness to do all that He promises.

Abraham was called to obey God in the most painful challenge possible. This is what is called the "crucible of faith." To obey God, no matter the cost, is where God finds out how much you really love Him. God said to Abraham, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you" (Gen. 22:1, NKJV). What an awesome test of faith for Abraham! To sacrifice his only son was the greatest test God could have given. Any parent would understand right away how this must have pierced Abraham's heart. On top of this, child sacrifice was very common practice for the pagan religions in the land of Canaan. Was the Creator of all things cruel and unloving after all? The answer to this is no as you shall see later in this passage.

What did it take for Abraham to obey this command of God? In a word, confidence. Abraham's response reveals that he had developed confidence in God's character. He said to his servants, "WE will come back to you" (Genesis 22:5, NKJV,emphasis added). Though God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering, Abraham was confident that they would both return. Let's take a look at this confidence and how it works:

What makes you confident in another person?	You develop confidence in someone you see at work every day. You are confident in someone with a good attitude. You are confident in one who has a good follow-through on their attitude. Like Henry Ford once said, "You can't build a reputation on what you said you would do."
How does one develop confidence in God?	The obvious answer is that you take note of His work in your life and in the lives of others. Study His word, the Scriptures, and ask Him to reveal His character to you. Pray for the needs in your life and the needs of others. Record the answers to your prayers. Over time, this course of action will deepen your understanding of God's faithfulness, holiness, and great, great love for you.
What is the result of becoming confident in God's character?	The most visible change will be your attitude toward difficulties in life. Do unmet needs cause you to become depressed or do they drive you to earnest prayer for the release of God's power and provision? Do difficult circumstances cause you to complain and whine to others or to proclaim the praises of the God whom you know loves you?

God developed Abraham's faith by showing Himself faithful to Abraham. And so Abraham continued to walk with God by faith. Dr. Nelson Price provides this definition of such faith: "Faith is confidence in God's character." As his confidence in God's character grew, so did Abraham's faith. As you grow confident that God does as God says He will do, you will grow in faith as well.

"So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, 'My father!' And he said, 'Here I am, my son.' Then he said, 'Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?' And Abraham said, 'My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.' So the two of them went together." (Genesis 22:6-8, NKJV)

2. You develop confidence in God's provision through believing the promises of God.

What promises had God made to Abraham that had been fulfilled in his life?

God led him to the land of Canaan which God had promised Abraham while he was living in Ur. (Genesis 12:1, 13:14-17; Acts 7:2-4)

God had prospered Abraham with servants, cattle, silver and gold. (Gen. 12:2,5, 13:2)

God had blessed those who blessed Abraham and cursed those who cursed him. (Gen. 12:3, 17-20, 14:15-16,19, 20:6-7,16-18)

God gave Abraham and Sarah the son He had promised even though they were past child-bearing age. (Genesis 12:2, 13:16, 15:4, 17:6,16, 18:10, 21:1-2)

Based on the fulfillment of these promises in Abraham's life, he knew that God would be faithful to the promise to make from his seed many descendants and a great nation. Abraham did not know how God would do this but through his only son Isaac the promise would be fulfilled. This was according to God's promise. Abraham believed in God and His promises -- for this, God credited him with righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)

The lingering question here is: how could Abraham so calmly approach the physical slaughter and burning of his son on an altar to God? His answer to his son is compassionate, from Isaac's perspective. Yet the Scripture tells us, "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,' concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense" (Hebrews 11:17-19, NKJV). Abraham's belief in God's promises was so sure that he saw the situation from God's eternal perspective. He saw the promise to make him a great nation through Isaac would absolutely be fulfilled, even though he was greatly dismayed at the method God had chosen for him.

God's provision for each of us is based on His unlimited resources applied to our every real need. The LORD Jesus Christ has promised:

to be with us always (Matthew 28:20)

to meet our every need as we walk with Him in obedience (Matthew 6:33)

to bring us into His kingdom because of our belief and trust in Him. (John 3:15-17;14:3-4)

There are thousands of promises that God has made to those who love Him. When your job is radically changed or taken away, you can put your trust in God's provision for your employment. You may not like the location or the duties but if it His open door for you, walk through it. He will give you the resources to handle it. When a family member is critically ill or even passes away, you can put your trust in God's provision for strength, comfort, endurance, and hope. You have the full totality of God available to you anywhere and at any time as your comforter. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) Believe in the God who promises for He is the ultimate promise-keeper.

"Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son." (Genesis 22:9-13, NKJV)

3. You develop confidence in God's wisdom through obedience at all cost.

God called this a test for Abraham (Genesis 22:1) to see if Abraham loved God more than his only son. God actually called two people to obey him. Who had the harder job -- Abraham or Isaac? There is an old song which spells out the answer: "Walk a mile in my shoes." Both of them had a tough job for different reasons. Abraham did not know why. Neither did he know the outcome. He just knew for sure that this was a task that Almighty God had commanded him to carry out.

The pagan nations loved their false gods enough to sacrifice their own children, particularly their firstborn. This, they supposed, would grant them acceptance and favor by this cruel false god. Did Abraham love the true and living God who created all things more than anything or anyone else in his life? The Christian Research Institute is a helpful ministry for people dealing with various cults and religions. Their slogan has a similar message to us today: "Are you willing to do for the truth what the cults are willing to do for a lie?"

Was Abraham's walk of faith one in which he always obeyed? No, Abraham had several notable failures including adultery (Genesis 16:4) and utter deceit. (Genesis 12:18-19,19:2-3,9-11) But Abraham learned through his walk with God that obedience is its own reward for it draws one close to God. He learned that disobedience has dire consequences for sin leads one away from God's provision and protection. He also learned by experience that God is faithful to do all that He promises. Abraham developed confidence in God's wisdom by experiencing the blessing of obedience and consequence of sin. Through this, his faith was strengthened and he matured as the man of faith God had called him to be.

Reflect on YOUR life: Abraham named the place of this amazing event "Jehovah-Jireh" meaning "The LORD will provide." Our God who loves you so much will surely see you through to the end of this life and usher you into His glory for eternity. Do you face life with this assurance or with fear that maybe God will not deliver on His promises in your special circumstance? Recall the story of Don Quixote where the intruder in a home fled out the window. Hanging on the ledge, he wanted to jump down but the darkness was too great. So in great agony he clung to the window ledge all night. In the early morning light, he saw that he was only a few inches from the ground. Is your life in Christ lived hanging on the ledge -- a "white-knuckle" ride? Or are you resting confidently in Jehovah-Jireh -- obeying God even when you do not know what God is doing or why?

Your faith in God develops and matures through:

Confidence in His character

Confidence in His provision for your every need

Confidence in His supreme wisdom.

By developing confidence in God to provide for your every need, you too can confidently walk with God, even "through the valley of the shadow of death."

Our Creator God loves you and wants you to know Him! If you would like to contact this ministry for further information or questions, please send your e-mail to:
Email: ministryrequest1@WordTruth.Com
Web Site: WordTruth.Com

Copyright 1999, Randy Lariscy.