Evendays

Many outsiders (and quite a few insiders) find the story exceedingly cruel: God asks… um, tells an old man to sacrifice his son on a far away mountain. And for what reason? God does it to test him.

One of the blessed characteristics of the Father is that he sees what man is incapable of seeing. We see exteriors. God sees the heart. Yet, if God truly sees what’s hidden, why does he test his people, asking them to be humbly obedient to his commands?

Despite the obvious downside to testing, New Testament writers seem to be chirpily bright when addressing the topic. They encourage believers to keep their eyes on the crown of life that will be offered through faithfulness in the struggle. They write about patience and perseverance that are evident fruits of trials. And they speak of the lofty byproduct of testing: That the one on trial would then know her own heart and discern her own faithfulness through the testing. For we are not only blind to the hearts of others, but often to our own.

So, we humbly pray with the Psalmist:

Test me, Lord. Try me. Examine my heart and mind.
For your steadfast love is before me eyes,
And I walk in your faithfulness (26.3).