40 Days of Faith: Day 18

Hebrews 11:17-18 – By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”

We are staying on these verses for another day as we seek to understand how we can live lives of faith by being obedient to God’s commands. So often, our hearts want everything to make sense. We are rational beings and even the least organized amongst us wants logic, order, and understanding.

When things just don’t add up, we often run in the other direction versus move forward. Are you willing to move forward with our Lord when things just don’t make sense? Are you willing to be obedient first, then allow things to fall into place, or do you need them to line up just so?

The call to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac just didn’t add up. Warren Wiersbe says:
Why would God want Abraham to sacrifice his son when it was the Lord who gave him that son? All of a future nation’s promises were wrapped up in Isaac. The tests of faith become more difficult as we walk with God, yet the rewards are more wonderful![1]

“The tests of faith become more difficult,” as Wiersbe says, and sometimes we may never know why we have had to walk the road we are on. As much as we want the order and logic and certainty that comes with our rationale, we may just not get it. Can we be obedient anyway? Can we say, “Yes, Lord, I will obey,” in spite of the cost and the potential pain?

Part of what matters in a journey with God is a possessing a different perspective. Jim Elliott once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” It’s a familiar story, but one that we would do good to revisit.

In 1950, Jim Elliot felt a clear calling from God to take the gospel to the Auca (Huaorani) tribe in the remote jungles of Ecuador—a completely unreached people group for the gospel. This wasn’t a “good” option like comfortable ministry in the U.S.—it was costly obedience. Here are a few bullet points about Jim’s journey:

• At age 22, he chose uncertainty over certainty.
• He left behind safety, a budding career, and a growing relationship with Elisabeth (who would later become his wife).
• He believed God’s call was supreme—even if it meant failure or death.

In January 1956, just two years after arriving, Jim and four fellow missionaries were killed by the tribe they sought to reach. Their dream ended in bloodshed—but their story didn’t.
Elisabeth Elliot, his wife, stayed and lived among the very people involved. Over time, the Auca came to faith and built a church. Jim’s sacrificial obedience had opened the door for generations of gospel witness among that tribe—and beyond.[2]

 In our logic, did the call make sense? No. From a human perspective, so much might go wrong. Was it costly? Yes, it cost him his life and left his wife as a widow. Did it result in fruit? Yes. It resulted in a lasting gospel movement because his wife Elisabeth also walked in obedience to Christ that on the surface just doesn’t make sense.

 Like Abraham with Isaac—Jim obeyed God without knowing the outcome. His obedience was “foolish” to the world, but it gained what could never be lost.

 Is God calling you to a place or a people? Are you waiting for everything to make perfect sense?

 Abraham’s obedience in offering Isaac, and Jim Elliot’s obedience in giving his very life, remind us that faith is not about waiting until everything makes sense—it’s about trusting the God who always keeps His word. The tests of faith grow deeper as we walk with Him, and often the call of God will challenge our logic, our comfort, and even our security. Yet every “yes” we give to God becomes a seed for His glory and a testimony that lives on beyond us. Today, if God is prompting you to obey in a way that feels costly or confusing, choose trust over explanation. Step forward in faith, believing that He is faithful and that nothing given to Him is ever wasted.

 Prayer:
Lord, thank You for the examples of Abraham and Jim Elliot, who obeyed You even when they could not see the outcome. Forgive me for the times I have waited for everything to make sense before I was willing to move. Teach me to trust Your character more than my understanding, and to obey You even when the cost feels high. Give me courage to say “yes” to Your call today, and use my obedience to bring glory to Your name and blessing to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
 
[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 319). Victor Books.
[2] Elliot, Elisabeth. Through Gates of Splendor. Tyndale House Publishers, 1981.