DRAWING NEAR
November 20
Passing the Test
"By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he
who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten
son; it was he to whom it was said, 'In Isaac your descendants
shall be called.' He considered that God is able to raise men
even from the dead" (Heb. 11:17-19).
A willingness to sacrifice something precious to you is proof of
genuine faith.
John Bunyan had a little blind daughter, for whom he had a special
love. When he was imprisoned for preaching the gospel, he was deeply
concerned about his family, especially that little girl. He wrote, "I
saw in this condition I was a man who was pulling down his house upon
the head of his wife and children. Yet, thought I, I must do it; I
must do it. The dearest idol I have known, what ere that idol be,
help me to tear it from Thy throne and worship only Thee."
Despite his personal grief, Bunyan was willing to sacrifice the most
precious thing he had, if God so willed. So it was with Abraham.
Every promise God had made to him was bound up in his son Isaac.
Abraham believed God's promises, and his faith was reckoned to him as
righteousness (Gen. 15:6). But the moment of truth came when God
instructed him to offer his son as a sacrifice. Abraham realized that
to kill Isaac was to put to death God's covenant. So he reasoned that
surely God would raise Isaac from the dead. He believed in
resurrection before the doctrine was revealed in clear terms.
God tested Abraham, and Abraham passed the test: He was willing to
make the sacrifice. And that's always the final standard of faith.
Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24). Romans 12:1
says, "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to
present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual service of worship."
I pray that you are willing to sacrifice whatever is necessary to
minister most effectively for Christ.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank God for those you know who are passing the test of a
sacrificial faith. Pray for the courage and grace to follow their
example.
For Further Study:
Read the account of Abraham's test in Genesis 22.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Genesis 15:6
6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for
righteousness.
Genesis 22
22:1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham,
and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you
love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt
offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and
took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split
the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of
which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place
afar off.
5 And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the
lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you."
6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on
Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the
two of them went together.
7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And
he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the
wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
8 And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb
for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham
built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac
his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his
son.
11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said,
"Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am."
12 And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to
him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld
your son, your only son, from Me."
13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was
a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the
ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide;
as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The LORD it shall be
provided."
15 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of
heaven,
16 and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you
have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son;
17 "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your
descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on
the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their
enemies.
18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,
because you have obeyed My voice."
19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went
together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
20 Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham,
saying, "Indeed Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor:
21 "Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,
22 "Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel."
23 And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor,
Abraham's brother.
24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham,
Thahash, and Maachah.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
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You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
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In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
http://www.gty.org/Gospel/
http://www.nwbible.org/
To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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