Trusting Totally

I don't remember the first time I heard the illustration, but I've probably heard it several times in my life. It has to do with "the chair". You may have heard it yourself one time or another. It usually comes up regarding faith or trust. You don't know that the chair will hold your weight, but you sit down in it anyway having faith or trusting that it will. I always thought that was a pretty lame illustration, although I suspect I may have used it myself a time or two.  I think I liked the light switch one better.  Then again I suppose there truly is no exceptionally good illustration when it comes to describing biblical faith or trust. -- Not so much the "saving" kind, but the living-out kind.

Currently, I'm reading through Genesis and had been reading the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22 where God decides to prove Abraham's level of "trust", or as the text says, "fear" (v.12). On the walk up the mountain with Isaac, there was a tremendous amount of trust being exhibited. Abraham was, however halting it might have been, walking with complete trust in his God. Perhaps not understanding, but nonetheless, trusting. Isaac was walking, under the load of wood for his own cremation, having complete trust in his father - even though he had no idea what was about to happen.  One was trusting their Father, the other trusting their father - but both trusting completely.

I don't know how they did it. I truly don't. It is beyond my level of comprehension to think first of all that God would ask that of Abraham and furthermore that Abraham would do it, apparently without question.  My goodness, I have trouble sometimes trusting God with my finances, or my career choices, or my ability to be a good husband. What is any of that compared to walking up the mountainside with your child knowing that you may have to walk down without them?

In this day and time, the way we think of faith sometimes, it would have required ten soaking fleeces, five lightening bolts from heaven, and three angels at our front door with a signed letter from God himself, before some of us would have made that move. Even then, we would suffer some level of obsessive compulsive disorder and keep asking for more "proof" that this was really what we were supposed to be doing, before ever doing it.

However, I do remember those times in my life when I was the get up and go type of guy. If God said, "get up and go", I would get up and go. Those were some wonderful times. Times of real blessing and joy. Times of absolute trust and blind faith.  Then - life changed. I changed. God didn't, I did.

Can I re-capture those get-up-and-go type times? Probably not. But I can learn to trust Him more. Is blind faith still a part of my vocabulary? Unfortunately not. But I can climb boldly up new mountainsides knowing that I would never be climbing alone.

Perhaps it's time to dust off my favorite verse...

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.  (Proverbs 3:5-6)