the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Voice of the Lord
Avraham, when he was put to the test, offered up Yitzchak as a sacrifice (Hebrews 11:17).
Are you ready for the test of God? Testing will come. God tests all his children. Testing forges character and makes plain one's spiritual strength. God will test you in order to prove your character.
Avraham (Abraham) faced a terrifying test of faith. He responded to God's test by obediently offering up his son Yitzchak (Isaac). Moved by the sole desire to please him, Avraham trusted God. We call this motivation the holy desire for kiddush HaShem (sanctifying God's Name). Avraham faced the heat with a holy desire to sanctify, or set apart, his life for the glory of God!
Now, consider the process of purifying steel. Temperatures of 3500 degrees Fahrenheit are applied to iron ore. Oxygen from the molten metal reacts with unwanted elements such as silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, and excess carbon to form slag, an impurity, which is removed.
At the akeydah (binding) of Isaac, Avraham surrendered his most prized possession. In doing so, his character was tested and made pure. Avraham learned in a new way that Yitzchak belonged solely to God.
To forge character, God will test us and remove our impurities. During times of testing, do not take your eyes off him. Remember that your purity will always remain. You will shine, purified by the refiner's fire.
...face the heat in my life with a desire to shine brightly for God.
JEF
The Voice of the Lord, Copyright © 1998 by the Lewis and Harriet Lederer Foundation, Inc. Published by Messianic Jewish Publishers, Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. No part of this article may be reproduced in print or on the web, or transmitted in any form, without the written permission of the publisher.
