God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. ~Genesis 22:1-3 (NIV)
What a terrible thought! Many would ask what kind of God would ask someone to sacrifice their son. But God knew something about Abraham that only God could know. He knew Abraham had trusted God for a son just like the Lord had promised and He knew that Abraham was counting on more promises than that. Abraham knew that even if God required for Him to sacrifice that son, there was still a promise on the table that Abraham would be the “father of many nations” and another that Abraham’s descendants would be as “numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand of the seashore.” God was testing Abraham’s priorities and willingness to be obedient. Isaac had probably become very important to Abraham; after all, he waited for this blessed son for almost a hundred years. God tested Abraham to see if he would walk in obedience even when it wasn’t comfortable and didn’t make sense holding on to what God had promised with all his might. God knows we can have faith the size of a mustard seed but until we get our priorities in line with what His will is and learn to be obedient in everything, we will never be able to accomplish what we were created to do. Abraham was created by God to father the Jewish nation. That’s a big call. When God saw Abraham's willingness to walk in obedience, He provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice in place of Isaac. God will do the same for me and you!
We all have big calls on our lives for our generation. We are all going to go through tests and as with Abraham, these tests are designed to try, prove, and develop our character to help us walk in obedience to God’s word. God’s word coupled with His Holy Spirit is the believers power source in the earth. When life goes in a direction that is uncomfortable or in a way that we cannot understand it can be difficult to trust God and walk in obedience. That is why we need to know God’s promises, so we have something to cling to. We don't always get it right, and God knew that would be the case before He chose us, but we must be ready to repent and then to be restored. Even when we fail God is ready to restore us. This is exactly what happened with Peter who, after Jesus was arrested, denied even knowing Jesus, but Jesus knew Peter's heart and just a short time later Jesus offered Him the position of Head Pastor of the early church. What about you? If you don't get whatever that it is you want, can you still love God and be obedient to Him? What about if you get what you absolutely never wanted? Will you still serve and love and trust Him all the days of your life? It's a fine line that divides the motives of the heart between selfish and selfless. We must always make sure we understand which side of that line we are standing on.
“Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” ~Luke 22:33-34 (NIV)
What tests or trials are you experiencing? Are you handling your disappointment with prayer or frustration?
Write an answer
Write an answer
Comments