Our
topic comes from Genesis 22:1-14, the story where Abraham is asked to sacrifice
his son on the altar. You may want to read this passage of Scripture before
proceeding.
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If we could choose one of our
forefathers who embodied a life of faith it
would certainly be Abraham. He stood heads taller than all others when it came
to faith. While there were several requests made of Abraham, none pulls at my
heart more than this request. I’m sure every parent would agree. Abraham waited
a long time to have a son. The promise of an heir came years before Isaac was
born to Abraham and Sarah. I remember seeing the smile on my husband’s face at
the birth of both our children. Actually, I couldn’t see it on his lips because
he was wearing a surgical mask, but I could see the gleam in his eyes. I knew
he was proud. I knew he would love this child no matter what. Imagine Abraham
entering the tent after his son was born. Picture him taking Isaac, his
long-awaited son, in his arms. I wonder if he whispered in his baby’s ear, “My
child, I love you. I will do whatever it takes to protect you. I will never let
you down.”
Then one day, a powerful voice came
to Abraham with a request. Not just any request, I might add. He was instructed
to take his son and offer him as a sacrifice on the altar. In no uncertain
terms, Abraham was told to kill his son. Imagine if that had been you. How
would you respond? We learn immediately that this was a test. Really God! Why would you give Abraham a son and then take
him away?
While this story took place
centuries ago, God still works in similar ways in our lives as well. The Bible
is clear that we too are sometimes tested: “For
you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow”
(James 1:3 NLT). Hence, the testing of our faith grows us. And maturity is
what all believers should strive for. So we might ask ourselves, “How can I
pass God’s tests?” Here are two specific ways:
To pass God’s test, we need to…
1.
Trust Him in each circumstance!
Abraham surely trusted God. He knew
God had a purpose in the request and, even if he didn’t understand what it was
or he didn’t like it, He trusted God. He walked up that mountain with his young
son by his side believing that God had a purpose in all of it.
I would say that many of us have a
hard time with trust. Perhaps it’s because we have been hurt, misled, lied to,
rejected, or taken advantage of. And these things have probably happened by people
we at one time trusted. But what we need to remember is that Jesus is not just another person in our life. He
is God, and we can trust Him fully. We read in Hebrews 13:5 that “[He] will
never forsake [us].” Specifically, He will never let us down.
Therefore, let me ask you: Are you
trusting God right now in the midst of your situation? Have you surrendered
everything over to Him? Do you trust that God has a purpose? Or are you
worrying, are you griping, or are you filled with distress?
To pass God’s test, we need to…
2. Obey Him at all costs!
I must tell you that following this
command is crucial to passing God’s tests. So, let’s think about this for a
minute. When we are facing difficulties or trials, we often act in our
humanness and respond emotionally. It is during these times, we are most apt to
not follow God’s rule. But Abraham
clearly shows us that obeying God in all situations is possible. I doubt that any other circumstance in his life quite
compared to this one. Imagine how easy it would have been for him to just
disregard it and not obey. Certainly he could have believed that he had the
right to do as he wanted. Thank goodness he didn’t though. And out of his
complete obedience, God blessed him.
In conclusion, passing God’s tests not
only reaps earthly benefits, but certainly profits us glorious eternal awards.
How will you respond to your situation today? Will you trust God? Will you obey
Him?
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