Building your capacity through faith
Ref: Hebrews 11:17-1
Genesis 22:1-19
After waiting for 100 years, God finally blesses Abraham and Sarah with child. He is called the child of the promise and I can also call him a miracle baby because there is no way, at least not biologically that a man and a woman can have child past the age of 70 years. Actually in Romans 4:17, we are told that Abraham’s body and Sarah’s womb were as good as dead. So I can just imagine the joy after Sarah was conceived.
However, after a good number of years, God decides that he will test Abraham with the thing he treasured the most. He asks for Isaac, the one and only son, the beloved son to be sacrificed to him. To prove that God is really mysterious or in a way has a sense of humor, he tells Abraham in Genesis 22, “Take your son”, to put more emphasize he says, “Your one and only son, whom you love and go to the mountain of Moriah and sacrifice him.” Woooh! This was heavy. This must have been so difficult for Abraham. In his human nature am sure it did not make sense. How could God just decide to take back what he had given him? After waiting for all those years yet he was being asked to sacrifice his one and only son? It must have been so difficult.
However he obeyed. Actually the Bible says that early the next morning he got up prepared for journey and he was on his way with the son and his servants. I tend to believe that he did not tell his wife what he was about to do. This is because most probably the wife would not have allowed it. Imagine giving up her one and only son, the one she really had to go through a lot to have. I honestly don’t think a mother’s love could let go of her one and only son. A case scenario would be whereby the son of the slave girl, Hagar in Genesis 21, happened to mock Isaac, which was an issue big enough to send the slave girl and her son, Ishmael away. How about telling her that her son was going to be sacrificed! She would not have tolerated such.
Back to the story, so Abraham sets out on a three day journey, to Mt. Moriah and when he was almost there, he tells his servants to stay behind while he goes further with his son to worship. I’m just wondering what was going on through his mind in these three days. Did he question God or try to negotiate with him. Well, only he and God know. His son asks him where the sacrifice is and he responds by saying the Lord would provide. I think this was the hardest question he ever had to answer his son. I don’t know if he even believed in what he said but that was a pure act of faith.
Finally, we know how the story ends as Abraham is about to slaughter his son, God asks him to stop and behold he sees a ram in a thicket and this is what he sacrifices instead. God is so pleased with him such that he promises to bless him and make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.
Hebrews 11:19 says that Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead and he could even raise his son. This is why he did not withhold him, when God asked for him as a sacrifice. This is such a huge act of faith in God. No wander Abraham is in the books of the Hall of Faith!
Many are the times as Christians we desire our faith to grow. We actually pray and ask God to increase our faith. God, being faithful, he does grant the desire of our hearts. How does he does this, do we just wake up one morning and be like, “yes, today I feel like my faith has increased. I feel like I believe in this God so much”. Well, I just realized that it does not work like that. Faith is not a matter of feelings and emotions. It is not a matter of only believing. Faith is actually a matter of actions. The Apostle Paul tells us that faith without action is dead. I’m further learning through the story of Abraham that Faith calls for us being tested beyond our farthest limits. God actually uses the things we love and treasure most to grow our faith in him. He will put you through such a trial, that you will be between a rock and a hard place. Having faith also requires one to make a choice on whether they will be obedient to God’s instructions or they would follow their own heart’s desire. Will one say yes to God, or say no or actually start negotiating with him?
Yes, you desire to grow in faith, but the question is are you willing to go through the test? Are you willing to die to your own will, desires and preferences? Are you ready to fully obey what God is asking of you? Are you ready to let go. Are you ready, to be empty in order be filled?
One thing, I have learnt from this story is that God will not ask you for something, when he doesn’t have something better for you. This is FAITH. Saying yes to God even when it hurts like hell. And guess what, Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide” because indeed the Lord provided! May God help us build our capacity through faith even if it means losing what we so dearly hold. May God help us!
#Beautifulstrokes
#God’sflower
Author: Nickson Oguti