Family Faith:

I’ve been thinking about faith. Blind faith. The type of faith one has to have when it looks like there is no end to a trial, and hope feels, well, impossible. Perhaps you find yourself in a place like that right now. Or maybe you can reflect back upon a time in the past when you experienced utter hopelessness.

The source of despair is subjective. The root is as diverse for individuals as people’s lifestyles, temperaments and life situations. It may be financial, parental, marital or career. It could be spiritual, physical or emotional. Whatever the source, when one is in the midst of a trial, they may be brought to their knees — yet unable to pray. It is then that we have the least amount of strength to grasp faith, yet we need it the most.

Abraham had such faith. He went to a foreign land, fathered a child at a very old age and obeyed God to the point of being ready to sacrifice that child. Hebrews 11 recounts his faith and his story, which is told in detail in the book of Genesis. Romans chapter 4 tells us, “Against all hope Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him (Romans 4:18, Holy Bible, New International Version).

Abraham endured many trials in his life and had to believe God in the middle of complicated situations. I imagine he must have felt as I have a few times — will I ever experience peace again? Will this trial end?

The Bible tells us this about Abraham, “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised,” (Romans 4:20-21).

Now, the Bible does not tell us every thought Abraham had along the way. Maybe he is a better human than I. But I have definitely seen God work through hard times, and once I was through them, I was able to praise Him. But when they were happening, I absolutely had doubt. Most of the time, my doubting is brief, but I have had it.

Did Abraham ever have uncertainties? Do you? Doubting is human. But we are not to remain there. Even if we do not feel it, we are to let go and trust. Our prayer can be as feeble as something along the lines of, “Hey God, I’m scared, I doubt right now, but I love you, and I want to do the right thing. Help me out here, God.”