“And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.”Genesis 22:7-8
In the darkest of nights, God’s promises are the brightest of lights.
Adonirum Judson was the first missionary to India. Upon arrival to Burma, he started witnessing, started church services, and did all he could do, but to no avail. For seven years, he preached in Burma with not one convert. By many standards he was a failure. In fact, he was thrown in jail and while in jail, his wife was shipped back to America.
In that Burmese prison with thirty-two pounds of chains on him and a Burmese prisoner next to him, he could have justified giving up in his own mind. But rather than give up, he remained faithful. When his fellow prisoner asked him what he thought of the prospect of the conversion of the heathen, he replied, “The prospects are just as bright as the promises of God.” By the time Judson left Burma, there were over ten thousand people who had trusted Christ and dozens of churches that had been started, all because a man passed the test of faithfulness.
Even when things looked grim, Adonirum Judson believed that God would keep the promises made in His Word. Just as Judson believed God, so Abraham trusted God’s promise to provide an heir. Even when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, he trusted God’s promises. Even when he raised the knife above his head and there seemed to be no other way of escape for his son, he believed God. Abraham was able to remain faithful because he trusted God’s promises.
We all have difficult times in our lives. We may not have to offer our children on an altar, but we face difficult situations nonetheless. What happens when you’re fired from work? Do you trust God’s promise to provide? What about when your health fails? Do you trust God’s promise of protection? The only way you will be able to make it through difficult times is if you rely upon the promises of God.
Abraham had faith that God would follow-through in what He said. Hebrews 11:1-3 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”
When you have faith in God’s promises, there is hope in even the darkest of nights. Never doubt God’s promises. From provision, to protection, to a home in Heaven for those who trust in Him, our God has promised us so much!
Are you going through a difficult circumstance today? Does there seem to be no “light at the end of the tunnel”? Friend, if you are a child of God, you can trust His promises! Abraham was able to see the blessings of God because he trusted the promises of God. Spend time searching God’s Word for His promises today. Then apply them to your life and rely on God and His promises when difficulties arise.(By Paul Chappell)
