The Love Test
God allows us to go through times of trial so that we can grow in our trust in love for him. Believing God and fully accepting his love is the power behind a life of obedience. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. John 14:15
According to the following scripture in Deuteronomy, God allows things to happen in your life to test your love for him. Look at what God said to the children of Israel through Moses.
Deut 13:3 The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Abraham had to find out this truth for himself when God asked him to sacrifice his one and only, dearly loved son on the altar at Mount Moriah. After Abraham had bound his son and put him on the altar of sacrifice, a remarkable experience with God transpired.
Then he (Moses) reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 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. Gen 22:10-13
Even though he had waited for 25 years for his promised heir, Isaac, Abraham was willing to trust God no matter what! Wow! Abraham was convinced of God’s love for him and that God would do what he had said.
Trials afford the perfect opportunity to manifest how much you trust God’s love. It is so important to keep in mind that you can only give away what you possess! Though we all desire to obey God, love for God gives us the power to obey. But here is where the system breaks down. You can only give away what you possess. To love God, we must first receive his love! Love is not something you try hard to do but rather something you receive.
1 John 4:7-8 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love.
Love may come through us, but it does not come from us. Later in the same chapter, it says, “We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 Love comes from God. Therefore it is impossible to muster up the kind of love necessary to live in obedience to God. Obeying God is a direct result of receiving God’s love, not trying hard to love.
Consequently, the greater the reception of the love of God, the greater the obedience! Obedience & love are kissing cousins :-)!
My dear friend, today is your opportunity to receive! Yes, right now is your chance to put the full weight of your trust in God’s amazing love for you! Since you live on planet Earth, trials are coming your way. You can be sure that your love for God will be tested. Abraham believed and obeyed God because he fully trusted in his love! He was convinced that God was able to do what he had promised! If you’re in a trial, consider that maybe this is your opportunity to, like Abraham, hunker down into the love of God and pass…
The Love Test