The school years may predispose many to think of testing as a scary prospect. While in school, I had a recurring dream that the instructor handed out tests the first day of class, and the terror of not knowing any of the answers haunted me through the night. 

But here in Genesis, we see a different kind of test. God had confidence in Abraham. He knew the faith that Abraham possessed. It was time for Abraham to be proven, to fulfill his purpose. God presented him an opportunity for which he was hand-crafted to accomplish.

When we are tested in our lives, we are not abandoned to the whims of a harsh schoolmaster.

We are in the skilled hands of a craftsman who has melded us in preparation for just such testing.

When we make a commitment to Christ, we join in the faith of Abraham and resolutely set our lives on the path of the Lord’s choosing.

Abraham was chosen for that moment in time to take his son on a journey to the hills near the old priest of Salem. For three days, Abraham thought over and again about what he was going to do; how he would raise the knife, how the blood would flow from his son’s body. For three days, Abraham drew that blade in anticipation of that mountaintop.

The great accomplishment of the test was not simply the proving of Abraham’s faith. This test demonstrated God’s faithfulness to His people. Centuries later, God would fully demonstrate that love through sending His own son, who was also obedient all the way to His own death, “even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8).

Prayer for the week:

Dearest Lord, Thank you for Abraham’s obedience and the obedience of your Son Jesus that led to the cross of redemption. I commit myself again today that, as times of testing come into my life, I will trust You to work all things for Your glory and for my benefit. Amen.

Anna Derbyshire is a pastor’s wife living in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, and has written curriculum for The Foundry Publishing.

Written for devotions with Holiness Today.

Please note: All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of original publication but may have since changed.