May 7                                            1 Sam 1 - 3

RESISTING EXAMINATION

MEMORISE: 'And Abraham said, my son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.' (Gen 22:8)
READ: Genesis 22:1-18

God gave Abraham three instructions in Genesis 12. he obeyed only two, so he failed that examination. Then in Genesis 22, God re- examined him. God is a merciful God. When you fail his test, he does not destroy you. He gives you another chance. The second test will be tougher than the first; hence it is preferable to pass God's examination at the first sitting.

The land of Mariah was three day's journey from where Abraham lived. On the long journey, God gave him ample time to see if he would change his mind. God had asked him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. This implied that God did not recognize Ishmael, the son of the bond slave. If you are not born again, you may attend church or belong to any other religion, but no matter what you do, you will not be recognized in heaven.

Abraham demonstrated faith in God during his rest. He had learnt to obey God, irrespective of how hard the task was. So he passed the examination with flying colours. He told the young men with him to wait behind for him and Isaac to go and make the sacrifice and promised that they would both return. And they did. He also replied to inquisitive Isaac that God would provide the animal to be sacrificed. And so it was. 'And Abraham said, my son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together' (Gen 22:8).

Words are powerful. As Abraham had said, God replaced Isaac with a ram trapped in the bush. And later, Jesus became 'the lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.' Make sure you always say good things about yourself, your family and your destiny. Hence, the Bible says, let the weak never confess weakness but strength, and as does so, strength will fill him up. Are you faced with certain examinations in your present parish? You feel leaving is the solution; it is not. Any test you run from today you will meet again in a higher dimension, so why not stay put and ask God for grace to come through with flying colours? After the examination, God swore to bless Abraham. And so it was. You may have failed like Abraham before, but you can resolve never to fail God's tests again.

ACTION POINT
Stop running away from tests. Sit down and prayerfully
Take that examination heaven has approved for you.