[Abraham] never doubted God's promise in unbelief, but, strong in faith, gave honour to God, in the firm conviction of his power to do what he had promised. Rom. 4:19-21, N.E.B.

It was high noon with Abraham when on Mount Moriah the Lord provided him a lamb for sacrifice and saved his son. Then he lived in the full assurance of faith. But there were times when his faith seemed to fail. We tremble to think how nearly he came to the brink of disaster on several other occasions.

Men who have won great honors in life have cause to wear them with humility when they recall the occasions of their poor judgment and lack of courage. We all have experienced difficult times in our spiritual life. Our faith was in danger. In dark hours we have doubted the goodness and the guidance of the Lord; our interests were absorbed in the secular. The love of the world seemed to master us.

In the mirage of the desert, objects become strangely distorted. A mud bank exhibits the appearance of a magnificent city with domes and towers. A few stunted bushes are transformed into a forest of stately trees. So it is with worldly fame, treasures, and pleasures; the importance we attach to them is false and exaggerated.

Often we find it almost impossible to resist the illusion. Little by little we yield to the tyranny of worldly interests, to the indulgence of questionable pleasures. Prayer becomes infrequent and unreal. The house of God is neglected. The Scriptures lose their relish. The family altar drops stone by stone into the dust. We remember how nearly we were betrayed by appetite, passion, covetousness, and pride. The partition between the true and the false became very thin. We slipped on brinks over which others had fallen. We singed our wings in flames by which others had perished.

But in Christ we have found victory. The Christian life ought not to be a series of narrow escapes from sin. We are to run with sure step and confident hope. By this time in the world's history we should have discovered the faith that overcomes the world. We have a sure basis for our faith. Christ is sufficient for every trial and temptation, and deeper than all the conflicts we have.