Christian Living

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Jehovah Jireh

Genesis 22.1 “Now it came about after these things.” These words would seem to indicate that a new story is about to begin in Abraham’s life, and this spiritual principle may also be true in your life of faith. For example, there is a gap of thirteen years between Genesis 16.16 and 17.1, after which prolonged period, Abraham received a new revelation of God’s power. Are you also experiencing a dry time?

“God tested Abraham.” The unnamed narrator, who is setting the scene regarding Abraham and Isaac, uttered these words. With particular reference to testing, the truth is that God often comes to try and then to prove His people, but He does not always announce the time of His visitation. This is why we need to be diligent. Contrast this attitude with the church at Sardis, who were not alert when He came [Rev. 3.3].

What then? Are there any preventative steps, which we can take to ensure our spiritual alertness? Solomon said, “Good friend, take to heart what I'm telling you; collect my counsels and guard them with your life. Tune your ears to the world of wisdom; set your heart on a life of understanding. That's right—if you make insight your priority, and won't take no for an answer … believe me, before you know it fear-of-God will be yours; you'll have come upon the knowledge of God.” [Prov. 2.1-5]

All believers love to hear the voice of the Lord, especially if it is a word of “instruction … [leading] … to conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action” [2 Tim. 3.16 Amplified], which was God’s main intention regarding Abraham.

You may have the question, ‘why is my obedience to His gentle prompting so important’? Strict obedience to God’s revealed word will often result in a spiritually significant and extremely memorable manifestation of divine acceptance and approval.

For example, But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness." Then he permitted Him. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." [Matt. 315-17].

After a divine intervention and an accompanying communication, our daily walk and talk should be clearly marked out by the presence of the Spirit of the Lord. Therefore, the quicker we turn our spirit-man away from the things of this world and align them with thoughts of the world to come, the more alert we will be to recognise and obey the voice of the Lord.

God has no favourites. After Abraham had heard and obeyed the word of the Lord regarding his position in Ur of the Chaldees, he set out on his spiritual pilgrimage, and as with many of us, his entire life was unequally divided between a number of crisis issues, very often involving major and minor decisions among his immediate and extended family, as well as with the people of the land.

For example, he was called to leave his friends and family in Ur of the Chaldees, and at a time of dissension, he had to separate from his nephew, Lot, arising from a serious family quarrel between his wife and her handmaid, he had to separate from Hagar, and then, he had to separate from his son after the flesh, Ishmael; and now, another permanent separation was on the agenda.

22.6, 8 “So the two of them walked on together.” Abraham had waited 100 years to receive a son and now he was being asked to lay him on the altar. Is God resting His hand upon … and saying; this … has got to go?

Are you spiritually persuaded that once you have passed this difficult test, that your spiritual life will be a lot easier? Think again. Four times Abraham endured the same test, and each time it involved obedience, followed by separation.

Abraham was yet to undergo a final test of loyalty, which capped and surpassed them all. However, at a most vulnerable time in his life, Abraham’s faith in the unchanging One, remained constant [Genesis 22.5, 8]

If we were able to see, by the light of the Lord, His steps for our lives, what would they read like? The three main ingredients may be, agreement with His current word, appreciation for usefulness after so long a time, and adaptability to what will yet be revealed.

For his part, Abraham responded wholeheartedly and his obedience resulted in God revealing Himself in a new way with Abraham and consequently, multitudes of believers have been comforted and consolidated through the word of the Lord which he had been given. The depth of God’s revelation and its effects in the lives of others is often paralleled and measured by our commitment to Him.

Therefore, when in response to God’s inner prompting, your actions cannot be said to be theologically accurate or morally justifiable. There will be many well-intentioned people who will feel themselves extremely capable to assess, analyse and admonish you.

However, at such a time, it may be beneficial to remember Peter’s inspired injunction, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.” [1 Peter 4.12-13 NASB]

A very important step in Abraham’s spiritual and emotional maturity, which enabled him to stand firm, when lesser men would have wavered and fallen, was his firm grasp of the covenant [Genesis 15]. He knew that He who had promised was faithful.

Do you feel, that once again, you are in the potter’s house and over and over again, you are being recreated, on show for a season, tenderly handled, admired, purchased and then left alone … roughly handled, broken, crushed to smithereens, then remade and on and on the treadmill process continues and time and time again you are undergoing the same test with the same result … nice, but not ideal.

Abraham encountered many different people, in different places, with various positions of influence, and others with different problems and he received many divine promises and prophecies along the way. Finally, he knew, without a doubt, that the Omnipotent Lord would make a way, where there was no possible way, for him to receive the fulfilment of His promises [Genesis 22.8, 14].

Where are you today? Be repeatedly assured that repetition by the potter will lead, on more than one occasion, to rejection, but it will eventually result in recycling, renewal and restoration.

The One who provided the tests also provided the triumphant solution. With God’s provision, at the right time, Abraham came through, and so will you! [David McArdle]

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