What God really wants from us

The following devotion is excerpted from our brand new devotional, Faith Forward Family Devotional. Join me as we explore what God really wants from us as His followers. XO, Ruth

Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
GENESIS 22:14

What is the hardest test you have ever had to take? Did you pass it or fail it? Maybe it was a test for school or a test for a sport. Some are easy. And some . . . well, some tests are just really hard! Abraham and Sarah were about to face this kind of test.

Theirs was a surprise. No teacher gave them a heads-up. There was no time to prepare. A study guide was not handed out. One day the Lord put a test before them. It was an opportunity either to obey God or to disobey God.

This was going to be one tough test! Especially because it involved  the very child they had waited so long to receive. Remember Isaac? He was the child the Lord had promised to give Abraham and Sarah. The promises and blessings God gave to Abraham would be passed on to Isaac.

But now God was asking Abraham to give Isaac back to Him by sacrificing him! One day when Isaac was older, he and his dad hiked to Mount Moriah to build an altar and offer a sacrifice to please God. Where is the sacrifice? Isaac wondered. He saw the wood. Materials for a fire. But no sacrifice. “The Lord will provide,” Abraham assured him. Isaac didn’t understand that he was the sacrifice.

But sure enough, just in time, there in a patch of trees was a ram. God had provided the sacrifice. What He wanted was Abraham’s heart, his faith. Now the Lord knew that Abraham loved Him more than anything, even more than his own son. He had passed the test!

God blessed him. He rewarded him because of his faith. What God wants from us is our hearts. He wants us to love Him and trust Him more than anything else! For Abraham, that meant being willing to give up Isaac. What is it for you? 

Key Idea: God is a Provider. He is the One who supplies all of our needs. One day God would give His Son, Jesus, to take away our sins as the perfect sacrifice.

Here are a few questions to think about and discuss with your family:

• How do tests help us grow?

• How do you think Abraham and Sarah’s love for God changed after this?

• What are things today that can become more important to us than loving God?

Let’s pray:

Father, You are our great Provider. You have given us what we need most—the gift of salvation through Jesus. He is our perfect sacrifice. Thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son to forgive us. Help us love You more and more each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Faith Forward Family Devotional is written for families with children of all ages to help equip and inspire you to raise another generation to love and serve Jesus.

In just a few minutes a day, at your own pace, you can take your family through the entire Bible in one hundred devotions.

Grow closer to your kids as they grow closer to God.

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