”THE TESTING OF OUR FAITH”

 

                          

A college student had come to take his final exam in his ornithology class (the study of birds). It had been a tough class with a tough professor. The exam consisted of 25 pictures of birds’ feet and he had to identify which birds they were, based solely on their feet. The exasperated student said; “I’m not going to do this. Nobody could pass this test!” The professor replied, “Then I will have to fail you.” Defiantly, the student said, “So, fail me!” The angry professor replied, “Okay, what’s your name?” The student took off his shoes and socks and said, “You tell me.”  None of us like hard tests do we?   But as Christians, we learn that our faith is constantly being tested.  Some of those tests are easy, but many times they are very difficult.  In the case of Abraham in Genesis 22, this was probably the most difficult of tests.  How could a man be willing to offer up his son as a sacrifice to God? I believe that the reason he was able to agree to do so, was because Abraham had trust in God.  God had spoken to him on several occasions, and had never let him down before.  Abraham trusted God would provide a way. We know this because in Genesis 22.5, Abraham told his servants that he and Isaac would return to them. That is trust!  Many of us say that we believe God and that we trust in Him, yet we are not willing to back it up with our actions.  Abraham did and it was accounted unto him as righteousness.  So why did God ask this of Abraham?  Could it be for the sole reason of revealing to us the greatness of the sacrifice He made in offering up His Son for us as a sacrifice?  God wants us to trust Him so much that He was willing to offer us His only Son so that we could see how much He loves us.  So, when our faith is tested, whether it be easy or difficult, we can trust that He is there to help us.

PRAYER REQUESTS:_________________________________________________________________

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday - October 4, 2016

Woodlawn Family Bible Study TUESDAY BIBLE READING:    Genesis 32:22-32 Do you want to be blessed? That sounds like a rhetorical question, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want to be blessed? I guess it really depends on your definition of “blessed.” Many people desire blessings that will make them wealthy or, perhaps, material goods. However, being blessed is not limited to those physical things. In fact, sometimes we can be blessed in the most unusual ways. For instance, in Genesis 32:26, we find Jacob wrestling with what we often call an angel. Within the story, Jacob is overtaking the angel and holding him down; refusing to let go until the angel gives him a blessing. The angel obliges Jacob, but not in the way he might have imagined. The angel changed his name from “Jacob” to “Israel,” but he also did something else. He put Jacob’s hip joint out of socket, causing him much pain and difficulty walking. In part, his blessing had to do with him walking with a limp. How is tha...
Read more

Resolutions: Draw closer to God through study of His word

BIBLE READING: John 14.7 Spend time alone with God’s Word.  Besides the spiritual growth we will gain from study, we will also come to know Him better.  Reading His word brings us in touch with Him.  Jesus tells us in John 14:7 – “If you had known Me, you would have known my Father also.”   Just studying the life of Jesus will help us to know God better.   In seeking God’s help, we can draw closer to Him through prayer, meditation, nature, and study.   “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” Psalm 1:2  I Tim.4:13,15 - “Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine… meditate on these things; give yourself wholly to them.”   Regardless of our circumstances we can rely on God’s unchanging character.  God is good. God loves me. God is with me. God knows my problems. God cares. Romans 8:31(b) tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Make a resolution to slo...
Read more

“Examples”

BIBLE READING: Mark 13- Luke 1 DISCUSSION                                                                                   This past week we have read of some great examples in the bible.   We read in Mark 13 about us being ready and being prepared for when Jesus returns.   We need to all stay awake!   In Mark 14 we read of one action having such an impact.   How this woman gave her very best to Jesus because of her love for Him.   In Mark 15 we read of Pontius Pilate and his desire to keep his power.   He loved his power and did not want to give it up even if that meant sending an inno...
Read more