Test of faith
Hannah – Hope Aide
According to the Bible in Hebrews 11:1, ‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen’. We are called to run with endurance this race of faith set before us with God being the Author and Finisher of our faith. In Hebrews chapter 12 we read about heroes and heroines of faith. By faith, Abel offered an excellent sacrifice before God. By faith, Enoch lives an exemplary life and never tasted death. By faith, Noah made an ark and was saved during the flood. By faith, Abraham entered the promised land. By faith, Sarah bore the promised heir. By faith, Zipporah made a basket to protect Moses. By faith, Rahab risked her life to give refuge for God’s people and was saved. By faith, Daniel was saved in the lion’s den. By faith, Daniel’s friends were not consumed by the fire.
In the Old Testament, we see a prophet named Elijah who was called by God for public display of his faith in the Lord God of Israel. We read this in I Kings chapters 17 and 18. God commands Elijah to tell Ahab, the king of Israel that there will be a famine for the next few years. Elijah by faith did as commanded by God. He was then fed was ravens and the widow at Zarephath. But the real test of faith comes after three years when God asks Elijah to go and present himself before Ahab. Elijah meets Obadiah, another prophet of God, and instructs him to take this message to Ahab. Obadiah agrees after getting the assurance that Elijah will definitely be there to meet Ahab. When they meet, Ahab tags Elijah as the troublemaker of Israel. Elijah denies. He then frames Ahab and his family as the troublemakers of Israel as they fail to acknowledge the God of Hosts as the Lord of their lives. By faith, Elijah calls for an open test of faith. One prophet of God versus 450 prophets of Baal. They set up their altar and made their sacrifices ready. The prophets of Baal called on Baal from morning to noon there was no response but for their frantic cries.
Then Elijah took twelve stones corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he dug a large trench to hold two seahs of seeds. Arranged wood, cut the bull into pieces, and arranged them on the wood. Poured four large jars of water on the sacrifice and did it three times. Then Elijah prayed, “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God and that you are turning their hearts back again.” II Kings 18: 36 Instantaneously fire from heaven fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the soil even licked up the water from the water in the trench. Seeing this the people fell prostrate on the ground and worshipped, “The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!”
Wasn’t that wonderful? A public display of the faith that Elijah had in God, paved the way for the outright display of God’s glory before the men of Israel. Friends as you read this blog, your faith gets kindled. You are called to live by faith. God expects you to hope for things that are not seen. God calls you to hold on to His promises and expect great this from Him. When you stand in faith, God is faithful enough to express His glory in your life. Faith is of different orders – for some, it can be waiting patiently, for some it can be growing in the dark unnoticed and for some, it can be inward healing. But for the others, it is a bright and outward expression of faith like building an ark or giving a test of faith. Be ready to express your faith in whatever order you are called to express. The key to this is holding on to the promises of the Lord God of heaven. What is your test of faith today? Find it and win it. As you do this day in and day out you will definitely become heroes and heroines of faith.
