The Forgotten Factor

 

By D.T. Powell

 

“I don’t have time.”

It’s a common frustration. Writers everywhere have known the constraints of time since the world began. But is time always an enemy?

Throughout Scripture, we witness God using time to shape lives and change hearts. We see one example of this in Abraham.

In Genesis, Abraham and Sarah spent years waiting for God to fulfill His promise to give them a son. They believed, yes. But doubt crept in, and they tried to remedy their childlessness in a way that made sense to them but was not in line with what God intended. Sarah’s maid Hagar became Abraham’s second wife and had a son named Ishmael. That act of unbelief has had far-reaching repercussions, ones we still witness today.

Over the next twenty-five years, God reminded Abraham on more than one occasion that the son He promised would be given to him and Sarah. During that time, Abraham evidenced fear and doubt. It’s easy to condemn him, to say, “He should have believed God.” But don’t we do the same thing? Lose sight of God’s promises? Forget? Doubt?

Despite everything, God did not forsake Abraham, even during his worst moments. And when we arrive, finally, at Genesis 22, we see an Abraham who is a markedly different man. Throughout the two or three decades between God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the events of Genesis 22, Abraham had clearly learned very well that God keeps His promises.

I love the expressions of faith we see from Abraham throughout Genesis 22. In verse 1 (KJV), when God initially comes to Abraham, he presents himself as ready and willing to serve God. He says, very simply, “Behold, here I am.” When God tells Abraham what He wants him to do (sacrifice his son Isaac), Abraham doesn’t try to reason with God or change His mind. Instead, Genesis 22:3 (KJV) says, “Abraham rose up early in the morning … and went unto the place of which God had told him.”

But there are three more demonstrations of Abraham’s faith. The first arrives in verse 5, which says Abraham spoke with the servants he’d brought with them, saying he and Isaac would go to worship God, “and come again” (KJV) to them. But how would that be possible if Abraham sacrificed Isaac?

Perhaps when God came to Abraham and gave him this task, God’s promises from years before came back. Because the giving of a son was only one of many promises God laid out. The conception and birth of Isaac—something impossible by mortal standards—came to pass, just as God had said. And God also promised Abraham that he would have many descendants. But Isaac was the son God promised Abraham. Without Isaac, the promise of many descendants could not be.

And here is where the last two pieces of evidence of Abraham’s faith in this passage appear. In verse 7, Isaac asks his father where the lamb is that they’re going to sacrifice. And Abraham replies, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:8 KJV). That’s quite the declaration of faith on Abraham’s part. But he doesn’t stop there. Verse 10 says, “Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” We’re not told he hesitated or said anything to indicate he doubted that God would provide. We’re simply told Abraham’s faith-filled intention and action.

God stops Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, and, just as Abraham said before, God did provide a substitute—a ram. And Abraham memorialized God’s act of provision by naming the place “Jehoavahjireh” or “God will provide.” (Gen 22:14 KJV)

In the end, God approves of Abraham’s show of faith.

The next we hear of Abraham, he’s burying Sarah. Then he enlists a trusted servant to find a wife for Isaac. Something Abraham can’t do himself, due to age and health. But even as Abraham speaks with his servant, he references a promise God gave him decades before. And he states that promise with confidence.

Over the course of Abraham’s life, we see God patiently remind him of His promises, and as time rolls on, God uses events and people to reinforce His truth and faithfulness to Abraham. God had a purpose in making Abraham and Sarah wait so long for the son He’d promised. He had a purpose in making Abraham wait for a substitutionary sacrifice. With care and purpose, He used time to remove Abraham’s fear and doubt and bring him to a place of confident faith.

And as long as time exists, God will use it to shape us into the image of Jesus Christ, His Son. As writers, we get to experience that in a unique way. Because writing isn’t just producing words. Sometimes, it’s waiting. Sometimes, it’s letting God use time to forge us into the person our writing work needs us to be. And sometimes, it’s walking through the stream of time and humbly allowing God to direct us. Not going our way or relying on our own understanding, but surrendering our time to Him and trusting He will use it in incredible, unimaginable ways.

 

Photo by Malvestida on Unsplash

 

D. T. Powell has loved stories since before she can remember, and it was one of those stories that God used to change her life and prompt her to start writing. In addition to writing original contemporary and speculative fiction, as well as book reviews for a magazine, she has actively contributed to the fanfiction community since 2013. Her original work has been published by Writers Digest, Clean Fiction Magazine, Twenty Hills Publishing, The Order of the Pen Press, Worldsmyths, and Cadence Writing. She enjoys reading, playing pickleball, and the occasional video game. You can find her online as dtill359. Her favorite verse is Psalm 126:5, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”