The Testimony Of Faith

The Testimony of Faith

Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith. Genesis 15:6

ABRAHAM’S JOURNEY OF FAITH was filled with missteps. Though he and Sarah were childless, God promised to make a great nation of him, but he really didn’t say how. At some point, Abraham began to wonder what part he was to play in this process—how much of it was up to God and how much of it was up to him. God hadn’t given him instructions, and he didn’t specify which woman would carry his children. He left a lot of blanks for Abraham to fill in, and Abraham created a mess with them. Years later, when the fulfillment of the promise seemed overdue, God reiterated it, and Abraham laughed. Then Sarah laughed and even lied about laughing. Eventually, the child of promise was born.

Interestingly, when the New Testament tells the story of Abraham and Sarah’s faith, it leaves out all the missteps (Romans 4:18-22; Hebrews 11:8-12). It focuses only on the faith that surfaced at times in the process. That’s because from God’s point of view, our entire journey of faith is defined by our moments of belief and where we end up. All the things we tend to focus on—the misunderstandings, mistakes, sins, and regrets—are washed away in the testimony of fulfillment. Never mind that Abraham questioned, meddled, laughed, and made decisions that still divide the Promised Land today. He believed, and God considered him righteous.

That’s your testimony too. You may go through all kinds of ups and downs in your faith, wondering how God is going to fulfill his promises to you, taking on more or less responsibility than you should, narrowing down the specifics of his plan, saying and thinking the wrong things, losing heart when things take too long, and generally waiting it out without knowing the details you want to know. But if you once believed, and if you end up believing when the time for fulfillment has come, that’s faith, no matter what else happened along the way. His testimony of your process will not include those regrettable moments of unbelief. If you survive this journey with faith intact, you are an example of faith for the ages. And God considers that righteousness.

Faith in God will always be crowned.