This week I’ve been getting back into my normal weekly routine following the Christmas and New Year holidays. As soon as I return from my morning walk, I turn on the radio to listen to Chuck Swindoll’s Insight for Living as I get ready for work. His current message is about Abraham and his obedience to God’s command to sacrifice his son Isaac? Chuck went on to ask, “What is your Isaac that God may require of you?”
I started thinking…what is my Isaac? What would God require of me to lay down, be willing to sacrifice, in obedience to His command? Like Abraham, would I be quick to obey?
Is my Isaac my husband Chris?
Our home?
Is it my job?
My health?
Is it a hope or a dream?
Our finances?
Is it the approval and acceptance of man?
Each year it seems like God has taught me to loosen my grip on things and even people. To hold loosely and be ready to say, “Thy will be done.” Last year and in recent months, it feels as though God has been deconstructing me by removing people and things that I love from my life. Testing me to see if I love Him more than the gifts He has given me. Obviously the test is for me because God already knows how I will respond.
Even if I do okay on one test…I can’t afford to be complacent. I must realize that there will other tests and trials. By the grace of God…some I will pass. However, there will be some tests that will reveal things within my character, attitude or the thoughts and intentions of my heart that are sinful and ugly and need to be dealt with. Tests may reveal that I’ve let something creep in and take the place of God being first in my life. How will I respond to those test results?
One thing that comes to mind is that I don’t need to fear those tests that God may allow in my life. I can trust Him because He is good all the time. Unlike me, God is not sinful and His motivation and purpose is always good and come from a pure, undefiled heart.
So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” - Luke 10:27
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1 comment:
Great post. We always need to be remindful that God uses tests for a purpose to be able to build up our character. We may not always like it, but God knows what is best for us. So, stay close to Him and be obedient to what He asks of us.
In Christ,
Joshua :)
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