Faith on Trial
Scripture Reading — Genesis 22:1-12
God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and . . . sacrifice him . . . as a burnt offering.”
Abraham’s journey of faith involved some painful twists and turns. This episode can tend to leave a knot in nearly every parent’s stomach. Here God tests Abraham by telling him to offer up his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice—and Abraham very nearly goes through with it!
The request seems unthinkable—asking Abraham to offer up his own son. After all, this was the son of promise—the one through whom God promised to bless the nations of the world. This command likely made no sense at all to Abraham. Isaac was God’s great gift. But now it seemed that this gift was to be given back, surrendered up to God. Could Abraham let go of his son—the one thing that meant more to him than life itself? And what about God’s promise to bless the nations through him?
This surely was a challenging, excruciating test of Abraham’s faith. But somehow Abraham had learned to trust God enough to provide a solution. He even told Isaac, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And as Abraham was about to slay his son, God told him to stop.
At times our faith may be tested too. Will we trust God to keep his promises, however challenging it may be to obey? Through Jesus, God’s only Son, who laid down his life for our sake, we can trust God with the outcome.
Lord, give us deeply trusting faith in you. Help us to know that you will see us through every trial we encounter. Amen.
About the author — Dan Jongsma
Daniel Jongsma serves as an interim pastor in Fulton, Illinois. He has pastored congregations in Elmhurst and Fulton, Illinois; in Dearborn, Michigan; and in Nashville, Tennessee. Dan also served as a church planter in the Chicago area. He and his wife, Gloria, have three daughters and four grandchildren.
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