In Hebrews 11:17-18 it says, “While God was testing him, Abraham still trusted in God and his promises, and so he offered up his son Isaac and was ready to slay him on the altar of sacrifice; yes, to slay even Isaac, through whom God had promised to give Abraham a whole nation of descendants!” (TLB)
Hope starts dying when you hear yourself say “never”: “I’ll never get this, I’ll never get that, or it seems it will never happen.”
I’m not alone. One of the greatest heroes of faith in the Bible, Abraham, felt like that.
Romans 4:18 tells us, “Abraham, when hope was dead within him, went on hoping in faith, believing that he would become ‘the father of many nations.’ He relied on the word of God which definitely referred to ‘your descendants’” (Phillips).
What do you do when hope dies and you’re ready to give up? Like Abraham I need to rely on what God has promised. Where do I turn when everything in me feels like doubting God? I turn to God’s Word. To become a person of faith, I need God’s Word in me.
Notice the Bible says that Abraham “relied on God’s Word.” Nothing is more reliable than God’s Word!
Even when Abraham faced his biggest test—God asking him to sacrifice his son—he relied on God’s promises.
“While God was testing him, Abraham still trusted in God and his promises, and so he offered up his son Isaac and was ready to slay him on the altar of sacrifice; yes, to slay even Isaac, through whom God had promised to give Abraham a whole nation of descendants!” (Hebrews 11:17-18 TLB).
After Abraham and Sarah waited years for a child, God gave them Isaac. And then God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.
Abraham didn’t panic. The Bible shows three ways Abraham responded in faith:
1). Abraham believed God could and would raise his son from the dead (Hebrews 11:19).
2). Abraham told his servant, “We’ll be back,” not, “I’ll be back” as he and Isaac headed up the hill for the sacrifice (Genesis 22:5).
3). When Isaac asked Abraham, “Where is the lamb we will sacrifice?” Abraham answered, “The Lord will provide” (Genesis 22:8).
Abraham believed the promises of God. He knew God would either spare his son or resurrect him.
What I’m learning is that when all hope seems lost, I need to put my hope in God. “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5 NLT).
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