I would like to share an extract out of a message by Francis Dixon on the Trial of Faith that deals with the topic of Faith and trials. Hope you are encouraged by these thoughts.
""Contrary to all human hopes and to the laws of nature, Abraham trusted God to perform His word and to keep His promise. That is what faith is, and in Genesis 21:1-3 we see how safe it is to trust God and how perfect His timing is. When we compare Hebrews 11:17-19 with Genesis 22:1-19, we have a historical record which perfectly illustrates the very heart of the gospel.
ABRAHAM is a type of God the Father – John 3:16; Romans 8:32; 1 John 4:14.
ISAAC is a type of the Lord Jesus – Psalm 40:6-8; Philippians 2:5-8.
THE RAM is a type of Substitution, of the fact that the Lord Jesus took our place when He died upon the cross – Isaiah 53:5;Hebrews 10:5-10; 1 Peter 2:24.
HEBREWS 11:19 tells us that Abraham believed that God would raise up Isaac – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
The two statements which pinpoint the emphasis of this study are Genesis 22:1 – ‘Some time later God tested Abraham’; and Hebrews 11:17 – ‘By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac.’ Where there is true faith in God, that faith will always be tried and tested. It is impossible to be a believer and not be tested – look up Hebrews 12:5-11; 1 Peter 1:7. Not only is it true that faith will be tested, but it is the Lord who does the testing. He may use many agencies, but He is the one who directs the testings of our faith – notice in Genesis 22:1 that ‘God tested Abraham…’ – or look up 1 Kings 12:24. So precious is the testing of faith to God, and so profitable is it to the child of God, that we should not only expect it but rejoice in it – look up James 1:2; knowing that it is our living and sovereign Lord who is directing the testing of our faith, and that His hand will never cause His child a needless tear""
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