How to Lay hold on God's Promises by Faith

 Let’s talk about Father Abraham. Many times we focused on his blessing, forgetting the trials he went through.

I sometimes wonder how God could subject him to that kind of test. Someone who had waited until he was one hundred years old to receive a son from the Lord for God’s promise to be fulfilled.

When challenges linger on for a long time, it’s very easy for one to get weary and lose faith. Abraham longed for the promises of God to be fulfilled. The more blessed he became, the more his worries increased. I’m sure he must have lost hope.

Finally, the Lord visited his wife, Sarah, and He did unto her as he had spoken.
Let’s not forget that Abraham had a son from a bondwoman named Hagar, but the promise was that, in Isaac, his seed would be called. So it was more or less like he had only one son.

It was this same man who had to wait for a long time, even sending away the son he once had, for the promised child and for the will of God to be fulfilled, and now this same Lord was going to take him away.

Who does that? Except God. The Bible stresses the word only son. Look at Genesis 22 verse 2, and you will see what I mean. It says, “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac,” and with this obvious part that says, "Whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him as a burnt offering."

I’m sure if you were the one who heard these words, you would have said, "I bind you, devil; get thee behind me.” Because those words sound like what the devil might say. You know, he aims to only steal, kill, and destroy.

Well, I read that part so well that I did not see where Abraham said, "No." Instead, he did as he was told. What if he had run the same way Jonah did when the Lord sent him to Nineveh?

As if that was not enough, God had to subject him to a three-day journey. Was God trying to see if he would change his mind within the three days? Our God truly has a good sense of humour. Imagine the emotional torture he had to go through.

The point that gripped my heart the most was when Abraham was making his way up to the mountain and his son Isaac came behind him, toting the wood for the sacrifice. However, when he noticed that they were not going with a lamb, he asked his father, and he replied with a broken heart that God would provide.

Something must have kept him going. He knew that it was a test from God, and he was willing to take the risk. What God wanted to know was whether He was number one in Abraham’s life—if he loved his son more than he loved himself.
Sacrificing an only son is easy to read but very difficult to execute. It took a man like Abraham with a strong conviction and firm belief in God to make the move of sacrificing an only son.

He did not allow the intimacy he had with God to give room for disrespect. And the fear of God made him lay hold of God’s promises for him. The instruction was to walk before God and be perfect. He understood that the one who gave the instruction could never make a mistake.

The temptations and trials could not stop him. He kept walking by faith and not by sight. And because he believed in God, it was accounted to him for righteousness.

As a believer, you need to show your faith through your actions. You need to show your faith in what you do.

In order to enter into these blessings, you need to have complete trust and confidence that God could not lie or lead you into danger, just like Abraham had.

You also need a lot of grace, determination, and perseverance to come to this level of faith.
And before you claim the blessings of Abraham, you need to ask yourself these questions: Do I really love God? Is he the first in my life?
It’s important to know that He will also test you in various ways to make sure He has His rightful place.

Conclusion

Many believers today want Abraham’s blessing but operate under Thomas' faith, who would want to see before believing? Such a mindset is wishful thinking, which can only lead to frustration. Abraham believed despite what he saw—despite the circumstances. With that, he was able to lay hold of God’s promises by faith. James says those who should not think of receiving from the Lord and those whose doubt are like waves of the sea driven by the wind and tossed (James 1:6-7, paraphrased)

Abraham believed in God, and he was able to lay hold of his promises.