Thinking #3—Considering History

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac … his only son; of whom God said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead. Hebrews 11:17–19

When Abraham went down to Egypt to escape the famine, and sold his wife into the harem to escape the Pharaoh; he died to the promises of God. For he could not have a child who would bless the nations, nor inherit the land, if his wife was not his. But God rescued him from an otherwise impossible situation. Then, when Abraham was ninety nine years old, God gave him a firm date for the birth of the son he had promised. By then both Abraham and Sarah were too old to conceive a child on their own, and they knew it. While they contemplated their bodies, both as good as dead, they did not waver in unbelief as they had done previously. Rather, they acted in accordance with the promise, receiving Isaac in due time. So faith grows not just by hearing the gracious promises of God, but also by considering our experiences of grace with the God who promises. Abraham had already seen God “raise him from the dead” twice. As he walked up the mountain with Isaac, he considered all this, and concluded that he could be relied on to do it again.

Glorious God, help me to remember episodes of your graciousness and faithfulness in my life, so that when you put me in tight places, I walk forward in faith, eager to see you raise me up too. Amen.