146. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. For him, testing of faith produces perseverance, and the Lord gives wisdom without finding fault.
22 April 2021
Genesis 21
5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Genesis 22
2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
Abram (or Abraham) was seventy-five years old when the Lord told him to leave his country and go to the land of Canaan. Genesis 12:4
Before the Lord tested Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as an offering, he had failures.
Fearing for his life, Abraham lied to the Egyptians that Sarai (or Sarah) was his sister. Genesis 12:19
Then, Abraham went along with Sarai's idea, and slept with her maidservant Hagar, to be able to build a family. Abraham was eighty-six when Hagar bore him Ishmael. Genesis 16:2, 4, 16
Abraham also lied to Abimelek king of Gerar, that Sarah was his sister. Genesis 20:2
Even with Abraham's faults, the Lord was faithful to the covenant he made with Abraham.
2 Timothy 2
13 If we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. Genesis 22:9, 11-13
The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.” Genesis 22:15-17
Testing of faith produces perseverance, and the Lord gives wisdom without finding fault.
James 1
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
To trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust Him in the dark, that is faith - Charles Spurgeon
In the midst of trials, in the testing of our faith, we can find comfort in the words of Job who went through severe affliction. We can be honest with God with our complaints, He will not take it against us.
Then Job replied:
“Even today my complaint is bitter;
his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.
If only I knew where to find him;
if only I could go to his dwelling!
I would state my case before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
I would find out what he would answer me,
and consider what he would say to me.
But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. Job 23:1-5, 10
The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. Job 42:12
"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. (Hebrews 11:17-19) God, Heavenly Father, You ".... did not spare Your own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will You not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). Lord, God of Abraham, Your covenant is everlasting; power and majesty are Yours, in Jesus' name I pray. Amen."
My children's children will one day utter, wala ka sa Lolo ko; for him, testing of faith produces perseverance, and the Lord gives wisdom without finding fault. Amen.
May you be blessed with God's Word.
Maraming salamat.
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