Joy in Trusting God

How many of you have ever taken a really hard test? There was a college student at Purdue that took an ornithology class as an elective. As an engineering major, he figured it would be an easy “A”. For those of you who don’t know, ornithology is the study of birds. So he gets to the final. His preparation for the final was exemplary. He worked hard, having taken careful notes in class and using the study guide given to him by the professor. But on the day of the final he is stunned and surprised to see that there are no essay questions, no multiple choice questions, just 25 pictures of different birds feet. No wings, no beaks, just feet, and he is supposed to name the kind of bird that belongs to each of those pairs of feet. The student is appalled and says to the prof, “I’m not going to take this test. It’s ridiculous.” The professor says, “If you leave without taking the test, I will flunk you.” The student says, “I don’t care! I’m leaving.” So the professor says, “What is your name, son? You just earned an “F”. To which the student takes off his shoes, rolls up his pants, and says, “You tell me professor X. You tell me!” The Scriptures tell us that our God tests His people. These tests are always designed to bring out the best in those He loves to demonstrate complete faith and trust in Him. Perhaps no character in the Old Testament faced a more difficult test of faith than Abraham. Would Abraham obey God and willingly sacrifice His son along with all of the promises of God? Did Abraham trust God enough to do what God had asked? Why would God even ask this? Join us this weekend as we discuss the kind of trust that our God requires. If we really believe that our God will provide for all of our needs (Philippians 4:19), then why do we sometimes withhold obedience from Him?