Scripture: Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
Devotional: When you and I face a senseless tragedy, it truly is the greatest test of faith as we navigate the trauma, grief, and loss that results. When our worlds are turned upside down, and the pain is excruciating, it is then when the rubber meets the road when it comes to our faith.
Abraham certainly faced the test of a senseless tragedy. After doing the impossible and blessing Abraham and Sarah with a son – one through whom God’s promise would be fulfilled – God now asked Abraham to sacrifice this same beloved son.
Unfathomable.
Everything about this request seemed contrary to both the circumstance and the God that Abraham served. But Abraham did not act upon his own reasoning. He trusted God and took him at his word. In fact, we’re told that he so believed in the God he served, and the promises that He had made, that he surmised that God would raise Isaac from the dead.
A true believer will trust God's purpose without knowing why.
This is absolutely the most difficult situation in which to trust God. We tragically lose a cherished loved one. We are faced with a terminal diagnosis. We are fired from meaningful work. Our spouse of many years abandons us. There are so many incredibly tragic circumstances in which we might find ourselves. Circumstances where we want answers.
But friend, faith goes beyond the realm of explanations. The true test of our faith comes in trusting God when nothing makes sense – when there are no answers. It is when we can let go of our “why” question and simply trust in God’s sovereignty and goodness, asking instead, “How?” How shall I now live in the carnage of my brokenness? How might I surrender to your purpose in my life and receive your healing?
Trust in His faithfulness to lead you.
Reflect:
- What senseless tragedies have you faced or are you now facing? Honestly share your struggles with God and turn your “why?” into “how?”