For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. – Luke 12:34 niv
Recently I finished a college course, and needed to make arrangements for my final exam. I reserved a room at the local library. I took the test in that small, windowless place.
In Genesis 22:3 Abraham set out for a “place in the distance.” This was to be a place to test Abraham’s faith. God told Abraham He wanted his son, Isaac, as an offering – a total sacrifice, fully offered up. For Isaac, this truly could have been a ‘final exam.’
In that same place, God spared Isaac, and provided the sacrifice. The Lord knew Abraham truly feared God and obeyed in spite of the cost. God promised to bless Abraham with descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. His descendants would take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through his offspring all nations on earth would be blessed. Why? Because Abraham passed the test!
In the New Testament, Jesus gave a test to an eager, young man who asked, “What good thing must I do to have eternal life?" The man claimed to have kept the entire Law. In an effort to show the condition of the young ruler’s heart, Jesus told him to sell his possessions, and then come and follow Him.
The man loved his possessions more than the desire to follow Jesus. That young man failed his test. He may have been wealthy, but he was spiritually bankrupt, and poor of faith. There is no good thing we can do to have eternal life, except to believe on Jesus Christ as Savior.
Abraham son, Isaac, didn’t die as a sacrifice, but God did give His Son as our sacrifice. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 niv
What’s hindering you from following Jesus Christ? If God were to test your faith and love for Him, would you pass or fail?
Prayer: Lord, I pray nothing comes between You and me. I love You with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. Thank you for eternal life. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
Donna, you are so right... I think of where my treasure is--where I spend my time and my energy--and I'm ashamed to have to admit that there are more times than I care to admit that I am distracted from giving my all to the One who deserves it all. Even among Christians, the conversation doesn't seem to direct itself to Jesus as frequently as it once did. Do I love and appreciate Him less? No, I don't think so. I think that, possibly, the church, myself included, is being influenced by the current trend to keep "religion" out of the public arena. I've been made so aware of the potential to offend another that I'm forgetting that that same person may be, literally, dying for an awareness of God's love. Thank you for the gentle reminder...
ReplyDeleteEllen
This is strangely familiar. ...
ReplyDeleteYour Devotionals are wonderfull! I may not get to read them the day they come out but I try to go back through them! Praise the Lord, he uses your hands and heart to bless other people! God is good!!
ReplyDeleteGina