Hebrews 11:7-27
Specific Ways God Tests Your Faith To Build Your Character:
➤ God gives you a difficult task. “By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” (Hebrews 11:7 emphasis added)
Faith is facing the future without knowing what. (Hebrews 11:1)
➤ God asks you to make a major change. “8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8 emphasis added)
Faith is following God’s lead without knowing where.
➤ God sometimes delays His promise. “9 By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, coheirs of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:9-10 emphasis added)
Faith is trusting in God’s timing without knowing all the details.
➤ God allows an unsolvable problem into your life. “11 By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the One who had promised was faithful. 12 Therefore from one man—in fact, from one as good as dead—came offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as innumerable as the grains of sand by the seashore.” (Hebrews 11:11-12 emphasis added)
Faith is expecting a miracle without knowing how.
➤ God asks you to sacrifice something of great value. “17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and he was offering his unique son, 18 the one it had been said about, Your seed will be traced through Isaac.” (Hebrews 11:17-18)
“He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead, and as an illustration, he received him back.” (Hebrews 11:19)
Faith is trusting God’s purpose without knowing why.
➤ God’s plan is often longer than yours. “24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter 25 and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the short-lived pleasure of sin. 26 For he considered the reproach because of the Messiah to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since his attention was on the reward.” (Hebrews 11:24-26)
Faith is persisting through pain without knowing for how long.
“By faith he left Egypt behind, not being afraid of the king’s anger, for Moses persevered as one who sees Him who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27)