Food for Faith - Food for Though

It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead. [Hebrews 11.17-19]



I saw something in this passage today that I don't recall ever having noticed. Faith and reason are used synonymously. "By faith Abraham offered Isaac..." and "Abraham reasoned that... God was able to bring him back..." Wow. When was the last time reason was actually used FOR faith and not against it?

The King James Version uses the word "accounting" instead of reason, but this word too indicates not "blind faith" but a very calculated faith. Hmmm.

The obedience of Abraham was awe inspiring for sure. Notice that he did not question God, but figured out (go figure) that God would give him a heritage through Isaac anyway and that death was no real obstacle to God. It required thought for Abraham to arrive at his conclusion - something painfully absent in so much of what we call faith today.

Food for faith - food for thought!

Father, help me to use reason FOR faith and not against it!