Growing up in the country, there were many roads that led to no where. If you lived down one of those roads, that road obviously went somewhere! But for those who had not traveled down it before, it wasn't a place you needed to be traveling down late at night.
I was reading in Genesis 22 about the test God gave to Abraham in sacrificing Abraham's son, Isaac. God told Abraham in verse 2 to "go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." Notice, God didn't tell Abraham which mountain to go to; He only told him the region. Abraham got ready for the journey and in verse 4 it says, "On the third day..." Abraham had been traveling for three, long days! Ever felt like you were on a road to no where? You know God is prompting you to make a change. You feel in your spirit God has something else better for you. You have no doubt God is wanting you to put your trust in Him, but you feel like you're traveling in a dense fog.
The Bible clearly states Abraham's journey and the command to sacrifice his son was a test by God. So does God have to test us to find out what's in our heart?
No, but tests of faith are not to enlighten God. Tests of faith are to teach us. When God tests me, it helps to uncover my real motive for doing something. Tests help to clarify my loyalty and to nurture genuine faith.
And because Abraham set out on the journey in faith, God showed him the mountain Abraham had been searching for. You know the rest of the story of Abraham and Isaac and how God doesn't require human sacrifices. God does require a heart sacrifice. An obedient heart is willing to do what He asks, even if it seems like we are on a road to no where.
(I will be sharing more about Abraham's trip of faith and the influence it had in my life in my book, which will be released in April 2010.)
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