God purposely steers us to places where we must choose between our desire and His will, using trials and testing to refine our faith. In Psalm 11:5 we find, "The Lord tests the righteous." And again in Psalm 17:3, "You have tested my heart. You have tried me…” Paul affirms this with, "We speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts." (1 Thess. 2:4) James admonishes us to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (James 1:2), Peter to “not think it is strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you” (1 Peter 4:12), and Paul to “glory in tribulations.” (Rom. 5:3)
Abraham waited twenty five years for his son of promise. This in itself was a severe test. Most people will not wait more than a few months for a promise of God to be fulfilled. After Isaac was born, God waited until Abraham and Isaac were very close before He gave Abraham another test. “Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 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.” (Gen. 22:1-2) Notice the scripture specifically says, "God tested Abraham." Isaac was dearer than life to Abraham, yet Abraham proved his love for God by offering his most precious possession. Abraham rose early in the morning the very next day, no stalling here, and made the three day journey to the place God showed him. He bound his son on the altar and raised the knife in obedience to God. Then the angel of the Lord 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.” (Gen. 22:12)
Let's look at Abraham's great grandson, Joseph. God gave him a dream of leadership, knowing beforehand exactly how it would come to pass ‑ Joseph's older brothers would turn on him and sell him into slavery. The Lord did not panic when his jealous brothers did this wicked thing. He knows the end from the beginning (Is. 46:10). God did not author their evil behavior, but He did allow it and used the opportunity it afforded to test Joseph's heart. “He [God] sent a man before them - Joseph - who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons. “Until the time that His word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.” (Ps. 105:17-19) Joseph did not disobey or dishonor God. He believed in the dream, but even more he believed in the God who had promised it. God's promise was so real that Joseph clung to it in the midst of trouble and adversity. He believed yet suffered for his obedience was accompanied by suffering. He faced the same temptations his descendants would later face in the wilderness. Would he complain, be offended and bitter toward God and his brothers, or would he learn obedience by that which he suffered? He chose obedience and endured suffering because he knew God was faithful. In the end, 22 years later, let me repeat that, 22 long difficult years later, the dream which God had given him was fulfilled. What man had meant for evil God turned into good (Gen. 50:20), working all things together in accordance with His divine purposes.
COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN
YOU FALL INTO FIERY TRIALS
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