Hebrews 11:8
"Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham."
It's wise to prepare for tests; it helps to be ready.
God doesn't play games with you.
James 2:19 "The devil believes in God."
"Faith without works is dead."
Test #1: A major change.
God asked Abraham to make a major change in his life.
"I'm going to drift into the shadows; I think maybe I'll retire."
"You're being primed for your biggest and greatest adventure."
"Abraham moved immediately even though he didn't know where he was going."
Can you follow God's leading without knowing where He's sending you?
Test #2: A delayed promise.
Promise is an important word in the vocabulary of a true believer.
"When Lord?"
But it's more difficult to handle that kind of test when there's no end in sight.
A real believer will wait for God's timing even though he doesn't know when.
How long can you wait?
Test #3: An impossible problem.
God had promised Abraham that he would one day be the father of a great nation—the nation of Israel.
If she thought this message was serious, she would not have laughed; she would have cried.
A real believer will expect a miracle, not knowing how.
Test #4: A senseless tragedy.
WHY .
Hebrews 11:17 "By faith, Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as the sacrifice. He who had received the promise was about to sacrifice his one and only son. Even though God had said to him, ‘It's through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.' Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he received Isaac back from the dead."
Hebrews 11:19 "He reasoned…"
A real believer will trust God's purpose without knowing why.
There's nothing wrong with asking HOW, WHY, WHEN, or WHERE.
When we don't live by faith, our problem is that we demand an explanation for everything.
Faith goes beyond the realm of explanations.
“Do you trust Me?”
“Do you believe Me?”
Do you trust God's purpose when you don't know why?
Lord, I believe, but please help me with my unbelief.