Abraham

January 24

Genesis 21:1-3, 22:1-12

Isaac and the offering

At the very time God had promised, He let Sarah have a baby, and Abraham named him Isaac. God’s promise to Abraham had come true even though he and Sarah were very old.

When Isaac was a young boy, the Lord said to Abraham, “Take your son, Isaac, and sacrifice him on a mountain I will show you.”

Without questioning God, Abraham took Isaac and left with his servants early the next morning. On the third day, Abraham saw the place in the distance and told his servants to stay while he and Isaac went on ahead.

Abraham and Isaac reached the place that God showed Abraham. Then Abraham built an altar and put wood on it. He tied up Isaac and laid him on the altar. But the angel of the Lord called from heaven, “Abraham, do not harm the boy. Now I know that you fear God.”

Why does God ask us to do difficult things?

If God can see our hearts, surely He already knows how much we love and trust Him. God does know all things (John 21:17), yet He sometimes puts our faith and commitment to the test (Deuteronomy 8:2).

This test is not like a test you do at school where you need to get a certain score to pass. Even if you mess up altogether, God still loves you just as much and you still have eternal life by believing in Him (John 5:24).

God’s tests actually strengthen our ‘faith muscles’ and help us to realize how much we depend on Him. Usually it is in these times of testing that we grow the most in our spiritual lives.

Because of Abraham’s trust in God and his obedience, he is listed in the Bible as one of the great people of faith – see Hebrews 11:17.

Verse for today

Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind. Psalm 26:2