Genesis 22 recounts the ultimate test Abraham, a friend of God, faced. God commanded Abraham to offer his only son Isaac, whom he dearly loved, as a burnt offering in the land of Moriah. Abraham willingly obeyed, but as he lifted the knife to sacrifice Isaac, an angel of the Lord stopped him; Abraham had passed the test. He was willing to forsake all, even his only son, for God. The test proved his faith and earned him the title, "father of faith."
Although we may never encounter a test as difficult as Abraham’s, we nonetheless encounter many trials in our daily lives. God uses these trials to assist our spiritual growth so that we may become purer, like refined gold. Abraham had already proven his faith in God. Yet God still gave him this ultimate test because He wanted Abraham to be perfect in his faith.
Even for Abraham, this test was not easy. You can imagine how he struggled within himself during the long journey to Moriah. Should he obey God’s command? If he didn’t, he would fail the test that God had given him and lose His blessings. But if he did, he would kill his beloved son. In the end, Abraham held onto his belief and faith in God. Instead of looking at what he would lose, he lifted his eyes to God. He believed and trusted that God would be able "to raise [Isaac] up, even from the dead" (Heb 11:19). By looking beyond human vision and surrendering his will to God, Abraham succeeded and became the model of faith for all Christians. Abraham had true faith in God.
True faith is total trust and belief in God. It means that no matter how difficult the way may seem, we completely understand and believe that God is leading and guiding our footsteps. It means looking beyond what we can see with our human eyes and setting our sights on God. We must totally surrender ourselves to God and allow Him to lead the way. Then when we encounter tests, we will willingly surrender ourselves to the better will of God. We will lift up His will above ours, as Abraham did when he lifted the knife, and set our sights on the blessed promise of God.
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