The Purpose of Testing

Abraham waited 25 years for God’s promise of a son. Then the miracle happened. Isaac was born. Though Sarah was past the age of childbirth, God gave her Isaac.

Isaac grew. When he was about 12 years old, God told Abraham to go up in the mountain, build an altar and sacrifice Isaac on that altar. Abraham obeyed. He packed the mule for the trip, took Isaac and they began their ascent up the mountain.

Isaac noticed that something was missing in their preparations. “Father, we have no animal for the sacrifice,” Isaac said.

“God will provide the sacrifice,” Abraham replied.

They got to the site on the mountain and Abraham began to unpack. He built the altar, unpacked the wood for the fire, and then the time had arrived for the sacrifice.

Do you wonder how that unfolded? Abraham seized his son. Did he grab him suddenly or did he lovingly and slowly place his arms around him and gently place him on the altar. Did Isaac struggle, or did he compliantly yield to his father’s strong arms.

As Abraham was binding him with the rope, did he protest? Did he scream? Did he ask, “Father, what are you doing?” Was there discussion? Did Abraham explain that God had commanded him to sacrifice Isaac in a burnt offering? Was Isaac so trusting that he silently yielded to his Father. Did he cry softly, or did he wail, “I don’t want to die?”

The time had come. Abraham now must thrust the knife into his son and kill him. This was the ultimate test. Abraham had come this far. He had packed the mule, made the trip up the mountain with his son, built the altar, arranged the wood on the altar, bound his son and placed him on the altar . . . but now was the ultimate test. Now it was time to kill his son. Could he do it?

I’m sure he thought he could do it. But when the time came to do it, could he?

Even Jesus, the Son of God, the perfect man, had misgivings. The test before him was so severe, he questioned the mission when it stared him in the face. He prayed, “If it be thy will, let this cup pass from me.”

Now it was time for Abraham to prove his ultimate obedience, but could he do it, or would his flesh, his weakness win out?

Abraham raised the knife above his head, ready to plunge it into his son.

Then in that split second God called from heaven. “Abraham! Abraham!”

Abraham stopped. “See there in the thicket,” God said. “There is your sacrifice.”

Nearby, a ram had caught its horns in a thicket. There was the sacrifice. God spared Isaac.

I once heard the great teacher, Leonard Ravenhill, teach on this subject. He said an expert had once told him that the ram was not in the thicket a moment before. It had gotten caught at that very moment . . . because a ram caught by its horns, will in an instant, either pull itself out of the tangle or pull its horns off.

So God’s supply of the sacrifice was at the very moment it was needed . . . split second supply.

How many times have you had a need and God supplied it one minute before midnight . . . at the very last minute? I have had this kind of experience many times.

Why does God wait until the very last minute?

Two reasons. 1) To show how completely in control He is of everything in your life. Remember, He knows exactly how many hairs are in your head. 2) To test your faith. It takes a lot more faith to obey God right up to the last minute, then it does to get your answer some time before the deadline.

A few years ago, before I was married to Lorraine, I was living alone in the bottom of a duplex in Shakopee, Minnesota. I had experienced a huge financial meltdown due to the lack of ministry support, in which I lost my house, was forced to sell my farmland, and previously had been homeless for seven and a half months. I had no credit cards. I lived by faith, by whatever came in the mailbox. There were at least three times during that period that I didn’t have enough money to buy a cup of coffee.

On a particular Sunday I was scheduled to preach in Waskish, a six-hour drive to northern Minnesota. I had no money for gas, and in the previous days when I checked the mailbox, it was empty. I had to leave on Saturday and I felt surely that there would be money for gas in the mailbox that day.

But when I got to the mailbox, it was empty. Now, what was I to do? I had to get to Waskish. As I was standing outside the post office, I felt led to call Bob. Bob was a good brother who sometimes filled my gas tank during the previous event timeline for an event I produced in Jordan, Minnesota. So I called Bob.

“Hello George,” his cheery voice said on the other end of the line. “I have some money for you.”

Oh, cool! Here was my provision, right on time. We made arrangements to meet, and he gave me forty dollars.

But the forty dollars wouldn’t get me to Waskish. Nevertheless, I put about $36 worth of gas in the tank and saved out $4 for a snack along the way. And I took off for Waskish.

I didn’t have enough gas to get me there, but I had to go. I wasn’t about to cancel.

So, what would happen? Would I run out of gas on the trip and be stranded?

I started out and along the way contemplated what I would do. Then I began to feel strongly led, I should go out of my way a little and stop at a Christian coffee house in Fergus Falls. I knew the owner there, and maybe she would help me.

When I got there she fixed me a sandwich and coffee . . . on the house. I didn’t tell her that I didn’t have enough gas to get to my destination. When I had finished and was ready to leave, she pulled out a twenty dollar bill and gave it to me.

So, there it was . . . God’s provision to get to my destination. Of course, after I preached, I was paid, so I had enough money to get back home again.

It was a test. I could have called and cancelled, but I wasn’t about to do that. That wouldn’t have been faith. I used my faith, and God responded.

Faith is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets.

Busier Than Ever

Our ministry is growing in our reach to people in our region and this world. George’s radio spots, Those Who Have Gone Before, Great Christians From Our Past, has been airing now for two weeks on “Your QFM.”

We continue to try to place a new article weekly on our website to increase our web traffic and according to Google Analytics it is growing.

We have now been pastoring a rural Minnesota church full time. We have added to their Sunday service different things to try to fill their spiritual needs. The church is small in number of attendees but what they contribute to us financially every Sunday is very generous considering their size, but it isn’t enough to support us.

For us to be able to keep up with all the things the Lord is calling us to do we asking those of you who are not monthly contributors to consider becoming one today.

For example, we travel to Minneapolis to record the radio spots because we have a contributor who donates his time to help us record and edit the spots. This is a tremendous gift to us. We spend a minimum of $300 to make one trip. This is a small expense compared to what we would have to pay for his excellent service. If you have listened then you know it is.

In the month of September our contributions have dropped tremendously. During the last two weeks our ministry contributions were a total of $262. September has been an especially trying month for us. We are baffled by the lack of support because we are doing more kinds of ministry now than ever before. Please partner with us to continue to get all we need to get done for our Lord and Savior.

In His Service,

George and Lorraine Halama

Photograph designed and taken by Lorraine