“Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from Me even your son, your only son.”
Genesis 22:1-4, 9-12 NLT
“Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”
Matthew 26:33 NLT
“Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.” But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth. ” Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said. A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.” Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.”
Matthew 26:69-74 NLT
So, has your love for the Lord gone through testing lately? Every child of God, if you live long enough will go through a test of your faith and love for Jesus. True love must and will undergo a time of testing. If you’re married you’re probably shouting the loudest amen right about now. We’ll never truly know the depth of our love for Jesus or anyone else until we’ve been tested in the relationship.
Abraham was given the ultimate test. The son he waited 24 years for, was to be sacrificed on Mount Moriah. The Bible is silent about whether Sarah knew of this or not. It’s also silent about Abraham’s first response to the request. But what it wasn’t silent about was his willingness to go through the test. Isaac was also tested. He didn’t find out he was the sacrifice until they were almost to the destination. The Bible is silent on whether he resisted his father when he was ready to bind him, because he was a young adult. I know this because a toddler couldn’t carry a bundle of wood up a hill. This must’ve been very difficult for them both. But the scripture tells us that they both proved their love for God on that mountain.
Has your love for God gone through a time of testing? What has He asked you to do that was the most difficult thing you’ve ever done? I have a few. The hardest was separating myself from family members for a season as I raised Sheri God’s way. The other was forgiving my mother and telling her I loved her when I didn’t, but in obedience to the Lord I did it until I believed it. Forgiving my aunt who had abused me in every possible way, was by far the most difficult. But His Word said I can’t love Him who I have not seen and not love my fellow man who I can see. Won’t bore you with the details, but my love for the Lord was of more value to me than being stubborn or unforgiving. We are living in different times, so I’m not sure God would call us to sacrifice our children on a mountain, but I know we cannot put our children, spouses, family, relationships or anything before our love for God.
You’ve read where I told my daughter that if she ever had to choose between me and her walk with the Lord, to drop me like hot bread- Because I would do the same thing. Abraham proved to God and us, that nothing stood in the way of his loyalty, faith and love for the Lord. God didn’t ask twice, He asked once. Abraham said “I love you more.” He trusted in the One who promised. And we can too. If you prayed for provision and the Lord provided, and then He asked you to give it all away, would you? You read my message about the twenty dollars I found on the street. It was all we had. He said sow it. I said yes sir, but not before asking if He meant all of it. Lol
Obedience is the proof of love, testing purifies love. A love that pass the test, is a love that will not be shaken no matter what. Before love becomes a behavior in a believer, love must be an experience in the believer. That experience is salvation through the love of God in the sacrificing of His Son Jesus Christ. Before love happens to you, it must first happen in you. Jesus loves me for nothing, I had nothing to give Him. He loved me completely for what only He could bring to the table. That’s pure love. Now let’s look at the next test. One we’re mostly acquainted with. How many times have we said what we wouldn’t do, but did it under pressure or out of fear anyway? My hands and feet are up.
The things I shared earlier, didn’t happen as a baby in Christ. Just as Abraham wasn’t asked to sacrifice Ishmael, neither was he asked when Isaac was a infant. No. The testing came when he had settled in to the promise. You could say he had matured some. If you keep telling Jesus how much you love Him, one day you’ll be asked to prove how much. My friend Peter loved Jesus, he just didn’t know he had to prove it. It’s one thing to boast in private, very different when you do it in public. When the test came, unlike Abraham, he got three chances. He failed all three. But God wasn’t mad at him, neither was Jesus. The psalmist wrote these words:
“The Lord is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. For He knows how weak we are; He remembers we are only dust.”
Psalms 103:13-14 NLT
The test of Peter’s love left him broken and ashamed, like most of us were when we failed the test. He really loved Jesus, but he loved Peter more. We’re like that. We will make great boasts according to James about the tongue. (James 3) But when it comes time to deliver, not so much. We all mean well, but until we have encountered pure love, we have no idea how to prove love. Even though Peter was warned ahead of the testing, he was too full of self to heed. After this testing, and Jesus’ private meeting with Peter after His resurrection and at the breakfast on the beach, Peter became as it were, another man.
The paragraph I shared earlier said you have to experience love. Peter met love on that beach, and he went from friendship love to agape. Peter was the voice on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2 and beyond) Peter was unafraid and eventually gave his life for the Jesus he loved. We too as children of God, have experienced His love, but has our love been tested? Do you have certain things that are off limits to God? Are there things that you aren’t willing to part with for the cause of Christ? Is there a relationship, singles, that the Holy Spirit has been warning you about, but you’re refusing to let go? Are you walking in unforgiveness? Have you refused to give up your right to be right, for the cause of Christ? Are you still at that church, that job, even though God by His Spirit has been prompting you to leave like Abraham to go to the place that only He can show you? All these things are a testing of our love for Him.
Are you willing to go through the test of your love for Him? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Joseph, Daniel, Azariah, Mishael, Hananiah, Stephen, Paul, James, John, Jeremiah I can go on and on. Their love was all tested. We’ve read their stories. But they’re no different than us. They just passed the test and we can too. Are you ready? Today may be your day.
Before love happens to you it must first happen in you. This love is God’s love.
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant