Abraham has been called
"the father of faith"
and
"the friend of God".

But he didn't arrive there without being tested by God.

By exploring the test Abraham experienced,
we can understand how we too can become people of faith,
and how we too can draw closer to God.

In this series
we examine one particular test Abraham took in God's school of faith:
THE MOST DIFFICULT TEST.

This series can be a real encouragement to YOU as you deepen your relationship with the Lord.

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12 - This is the Point!


Genesis 22
9. When they arrived at the place where God had told Abraham to go, he built an altar and placed the wood in order, ready for the fire, and then tied Isaac and laid him on the altar over the wood.
10. And Abraham took the knife and lifted it up to plunge it into his son, to slay him.
11. At that moment the Angel of God shouted to him from heaven,
"Abraham! Abraham!"
"Yes, Lord!" he answered.
12. "Lay down the knife; don't hurt the lad in any way," the Angel said, "for I know that God is first in your life - you have not withheld even your beloved son from me."
13. Then Abraham noticed a ram caught by its horns in a bush.
So he took the ram and sacrificed it, instead of his son, as a burnt offering on the altar.
LB

"Lay down the knife; don't hurt the lad in any way," the Angel said, "for I know that God is first in your life - you have not withheld even your beloved son from me."

The whole, heart-breaking episode had been designed by the Lord to test how great was Abraham's faith in God and where God was in Abraham's list of priorities.

Sometimes it is this way with us also.

We go through difficult circumstances so that we can get our priorities sorted out inside ourselves.

If Abraham had not had to make the choices God put before him in this test, would it have been so clear in his inner person, that faith in God and fitting in with God's purposes, were the most important things in his life?

Maybe not.

Many times there are all sorts of personal ambitions and fears tangled up in our faith in God and commitment to Him.

This kind of experience helps us to drop these lesser motivations and clarify our commitment to God's purpose for our lives.

There are experiences that seem to be leading to death in our lives, but when God sees that our priorities are set upon Him, He can turn our situation into a life-giving circumstance.

Let us be sure that in every test that life brings us, obeying God is first in our thoughts.

Prayer:
Father, thank You for loving me enough to test my commitment to You.
I resolve to obey You wholeheartedly today,
in Jesus' name,
Amen.




LB stands for "The Living Bible", by Tyndale House Publishers
NKJV stands for "The New King James Bible",
by Thomas Nelson Publishers


A new reading in this series is available every day!
See you tomorrow, God willing, and be blessed in all you do today!
Sol Wise.