We all know the instance in Genesis 22 where God asked Abraham to offer his son Isaac. Abraham was asked to offer to God his only son, Isaac. Abraham did not hesitate to obey God. He traveled 3 days to offer Isaac. In verse 22 we read, “He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” In TLB version we read the last part as “I know that God is the first in your life, you have not withheld even your beloved son from me”. We know the back ground of this incident , God was testing Abraham, he went through many testing before also but this is the ultimate test which cost something , painful but God needs to test him . Abraham to prove before God that he loves God more than his beloved son and his complete obedience of faith. Abraham passed the test and he got the testimony from God that “Now I know that God is the first in your life, you have not withheld even your beloved son from me”. Abraham loved God more than anybody or anything even his beloved son, here we can see his total submission to God’s will and his obedience of faith. In the case of Abraham we see that even his love for his son didn’t hinder him from obeying God. Let nothing hinder us from fearing God and obeying his commandments.
In Deuteronomy 8:2 we read, “You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” God tested the Israelites. He had already blessed them and provided them with all that they needed, but the Israelites complained and murmured against God whenever something didn’t go their way. In these situations, God was actually testing the Israelites to see if they would be humble and to see what was in their hearts.
Are we like these Israelites who always sought earthly comfort? Do we complain whenever things don’t go as we want? Can we say like David said in Psalms 73:25, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.” Paul says in Romans 8:35, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Let us set these men of God as our examples. They didn’t care for any earthly comfort. They put God first and followed Him. The condition to be a disciple of Jesus is to forsake everything and follow Him. In Luke 14:26,27 Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” If we truly want to be a disciple of Jesus, then HE alone should be our priority.
In Judges 7 we read of the story of God choosing 300 men for Gideon. The men who lapped, putting their hands to their mouth was chosen. This command of drinking water was a testing by God to see which men He should choose.
In our day today lives, we may come across many situations where God is testing us to see if we fear God in our hearts . In these situations let us prove to God by our life our love and obedience and have the testimony from God “Now I know you love me , now I know you fear me , now I know you obey me”.
