Building Your Faith One Test at a Time
Tests are not necessarily bad. Though we often have bad responses to them, tests are actually good for us because tests reveal to us two things: (1) They reveal what we know, and (2) they reveal what we don’t know.
James 1 tells us about a certain kind of test. It’s a faith test. Verse 2 reads, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (ESV). And verses 3–4 tell us why we can find trials or tests joyful: “For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect, complete, lacking nothing.” In other words, when testing or trials take place, and we come through them, we increase our capacity to become—to grow and mature. Going through a faith test in a way that pleases God deposits something in us that we did not have before as well as reveals something about ourselves we may not have known. In the end, it builds our faith.
When our faith is tested, we discover what we believe and what we don’t believe. It’s in the testing of our faith that we see different aspects of God we’ve never seen or known before. This was Abraham’s experience in the tests of his faith. We want to look at the different tests he faced and recognize how each test prepared him for what came next.
Test 1: Leaving His Homeland
Abraham’s journey began with what seemed like a simple command from God: “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you” (see Genesis 12:1). This call was not just a geographical relocation but a radical departure from everything familiar. Abraham was asked to leave behind his ancestral heritage, social status, and economic security. This initial test was about trust—trust in the unknown and trust in the God who promised to make him a great nation. It required a faith that could see beyond immediate comfort and security.
Test 2: Famine and Sojourn in Egypt
Shortly after arriving in Canaan, Abraham faced a severe famine that forced him to seek refuge in Egypt (see Genesis 12:10). The move was practical but posed its own set of challenges. In Egypt, Abraham’s faith was tested further when he misrepresented Sarah as his sister to protect himself from potential harm. This incident was a lesson in the complexities of faith under pressure and the human tendency to rely on one’s own strategies rather than on God’s promises.
Test 3: Separation from Lot
Another significant test came with the need to separate from his nephew Lot (see Genesis 13). The land could not support both Abraham’s and Lot’s flocks and herds, leading to a disagreement between their herdsmen. Abraham’s response to this conflict was marked by humility and generosity. Abrahamgave Lot the first choice of land, trusting that God would provide for him (Abraham). This act of faith demonstrated Abraham’s confidence in God’s provision and Abraham’s willingness to put others’needs before his own.
Test 4: The Covenant and the Promise
In Genesis 15, Abraham receives a divine vision and a covenant from God, promising that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. However, this promise came with its own test. Despite the assurance of a great nation, Abraham and Sarah remained childless for many years. The challenge of waiting and trusting in God’s timing while faced with an apparent contradiction to the divine promise tested Abraham’s patience and faith.
Test 5: The Birth of Ishmael
The impatience and doubt about God’s promise led Sarah to suggest that Abraham father a child with her maidservant Hagar (see Genesis 16). The birth of Ishmael was a result of this decision, and it introduced additional complications into Abraham’s life. The situation with Hagar and Ishmael tested Abraham’s ability to remain steadfast in faith despite taking matters into his own hands.
Test 6: The Covenant of Circumcision
In Genesis 17, God established a covenant with Abraham, symbolized by the act of circumcision. This covenant was a physical and personal commitment that involved both Abraham and his descendants. It was a sign of the profound relationship between God and Abraham, demanding obedience and marking a new chapter in the divine plan. The requirement was both a test of commitment and an affirmation of God’s ongoing relationship with Abraham.
Test 7: The Promise of Isaac’s Birth
Finally, after years of waiting and struggling with doubts, God promised that Sarah would bear a son, Isaac, through whom the covenant would be fulfilled (see Genesis 18). The birth of Isaac was a monumental fulfillment of God’s promise, and it came after many trials. This moment underscored the truth that God’s promises are faithful, even when circumstances seem impossible. Abraham’s faith was thus built one test at a time that prepared him for the biggest test of his life. We’ll look at that test in the next blog.
