ABRAHAM'S LOVE TESTED

Gen. 22:15-17 Then the angel of the LORD called again to Abraham from heaven. "This is what the LORD says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your beloved son, I swear by my own self that I will bless you richly. I will multiply your descendants into countless millions, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore.

Abraham loved the Lord more than anything else on earth. He loved his wife, Sarah, and Isaac, his son, with all his heart, but not more than the Lord. He was willing to give up the only son God had given to him through his wife as a love sacrifice because God asked him to. It was the ultimate test of Abraham’s faith and love for God. Because Abraham did not just say he loved God, but proved it, God not only spared Isaac’s life, He promised to bless Abraham richly by giving him more descendants through Isaac than could be counted.

The issue before us today is," How much do we really love God?" We say we love Him and our allegiance is to Him, but is it really? In what ways do we really put the Lord before anyone or anything else in our lives? How does our love for Christ affect us? Is it reflected in all we do and say? Does our love for Him cause us to pause and consider how we act and think might reflect on Him or affect our relationship with Him? Do we give Him the best of our lives or the leftovers?

The true test of our faith and love for the Lord is seen in what we are willing to give up for Him. He probably will never ask us to do what He asked Abraham to do, but He does demand that we give Him our whole heart, mind and soul. He commands that we give Him all that we are before we give priority to anyone or anything else. He asks us to willingly keep Him first in our allegiance. He will not bless those who have divided loyalties.

To whom or what are you loyal to? Before you answer that too quickly, your loyalty is determined by the amount of time, energy and passion you put into something. It is what you are willing to invest your life into. It is more action than it is talk. It is what drives you, what defines your life. What has the most prominence in your life? What do you spend the most energy and time pursuing? Be honest with yourself.

If you are truly loyal to the Lord and He is your lord, you will follow and obey Him explicitly, no matter how difficult it may seem to be. The Lord honors and blesses the lives of all who are loyal to Him.