Taking The Training Wheels Off Your Faith

Recently an opportunity pounced upon us, it would be life-changing, to say the least. Everything we've longed for, everything we dreamed about. Terrifying and yet promising. And then a small voice whispered..."No,".

It was perfect, and yet this overwhelming dread filled our hearts.

"No," So simple, just two letters but packed with so much meaning.

"Walk away..."

"Do you trust me?"

"Walk away,"

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Genesis 22:2 NIV

I think sometimes God draws you to places that requires you to exercise your faith muscle. He brings you to a place and then takes one of your "training wheels" off like my parents use to do. A place that scares you but you must face to grow. You can't keep the "training wheels" on forever. So He brings you to a place and asks you to trust Him, asks you to have faith and learn to teeter on first three wheels and then only two. 

...When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. Genesis 22:3 NV

He brings you to a place where everything you thought you ever wanted sweeps out before you, honestly the road is pretty flat and smooth you could keep your training wheels and swoop in, or you could trust Him and follow His leading away from all of that.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Genesis 22:9 NIV

It's easy to trust Him on the smooth road with everything you've wanted is before you, it's quite another matter when He asks you to take the training wheels off your faith and follow Him off roading if you will. It's hard to trust Him when He is drawing you away from the sparkling appeal of dreams. But honestly, those dreams are just glittery rocks without Him there. I don't know about you but I would rather have be off-roading with Him, then have a fistful of shiny worthless rocks any day.

But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”... Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Genesis 22:11-12 NIV

Abraham loved God with all His heart when God asked Him to take the training wheels off of His faith and trust Him he did it. No buts. No, what ifs. No questions. The bible says he got up early the next morning- he wasn't loitering about. He didn't hit the snooze button a dozen times. He didn't make sure God's plan lined up with His schedule and dreams He just went. Trusting God and willing to sacrifice his greatest dream, his greatest treasure. Because the truth is this life is nothing without Him.