Preachers quite often speak of faith as if it is no big deal. They describe it as easy as sitting on a chair. "Don't you show you have faith in the chair every time you sit down?" they ask the congregation. The "you fool" is implied.
The thing is, I have over 40 years experience with chairs. I know chairs. I've sat in many chairs. I can size up an article in an intuitive flash and know if I want to sit on it. What about someone who has never sat on a chair before or who has had chairs pulled from under him just as he committed himself to sitting down?
To me, faith is a gift and like all spiritual gifts, it comes to us in seed form to be planted and tended.
Abraham is a hero in the hall of faith. But he told white lies about Sarah being his sister which resulted in two different kings taking her into their harem. He thought that if the kings knew Sarah was his wife, they would kill him. Instead God had to rescue the future mother of a great nation from a compromising situation not once but twice. Abraham also allowed Sarah to talk him into her Hagar scheme even though it was a bad idea. God stepped in again to rescue Hagar after Sarah realized it was a bad idea and drove her out. He also blessed Ismael because he is Abraham's son.
So Abraham did not trust God 24/7 with everything important to him. But Abraham was a man who spoke to God face to face as a man speaks to a friend and over the years, faith and trust grew and matured.
Abraham was more than 100 years old when his great test of faith came. God asked him to take his son, his only son, Isaac, whom he loved, and sacrifice him on Moriah as a burnt offering and Abraham obeyed. Now, if he went thinking "what God is asking me to do is wrong and immoral but I must do it anyway because I fear Him", I believe he would have failed his test of faith. He would have gone up the mountain believing he is a better person than God. God is just the bigger person.
I believe he went up thinking, 'I know God is good and what He asks of me must also be good. Even though I don't understand yet I will trust Him.' That is true faith.
"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." We are a part of the thousand generations of Abraham, a man who loved and obeyed God.
God stopped Abraham and substituted a ram for Isaac. Centuries later, our Triune God returned to the same area. Another Father laid His Son down as a sacrifice. Another Son said not my will but yours be done.
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