Tested and Proven

 The truth is that we never know exactly what we will do in any given situation until we are put in that situation. Only then will we know for sure that we are able to handle whatever we need to do. God knows that so He puts us in situations to test us and to see how we will do. He knows beforehand what we will do, but He wants to prove us. That is how we know our strengths and our weaknesses.

God knew that Abraham trusted Him because He waited 25 years for the son God promised. Then, when Isaac was a teenager, God told Abraham to sacrifice him as a burnt offering. That was a very difficult test for Abraham, but he passed. He would have killed his son. (Genesis 22:12) However, the angel stopped him and told him not to harm sin son, because now the Lord knew that Abraham truly feared Him, since he had not withheld his son, his only son. This is a huge lesson for all of us.

We can say we have faith in God, but if our faith is not strong enough to get us to do the hard things that God calls us to do, then, we do not really fear the Lord. We don't really have the kind of faith that we need to have to live the Christian life well. That is why God sends trials. At first they are easy, but they get harder if we trust Him in the easier things. This helps grow our faith and give us confidence in the Lord.

However, if we fail our trials, God has to keep sending the same trials over and over until we actually start fearing Him and trusting Him. This could go on for years, unless we decide we are going to do God's will, no matter what it costs us. Abraham had very strong faith. He was willing to kill his Son, even though it didn't make sense. He feared God and trusted that God would even raise Isaac from the dead if he did kill him. That is the kind of faith I pray that we all will be proven to have.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 24-26.