When Unexpected Tests Rattle Our World, Part 2

For a moment, looked back in the last 10 years.

Have there been some surprises along the way some unexpected events that caused you to change direction today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll continues a message. She started on our previous program. He's teaching from Genesis chapter 22 or the Bible records a critical event between the patriarch Abraham and his firstborn son Isaac as we take a deep dive into this passage we discover practical instruction on how to respond to unwanted surprises. This message was originally delivered on the national on this Sunday across our land. This day has been set aside as a day of prayer. Prayer for those who lead us as a nation. Prayer for our military who helped sustain our liberty. Prayer for those houses of worship but continued to declare the truth prayer for this land in such great need.

We have this generation cannot remember a worse time for us to go through as a country even more time we were together, even during the difficult trials when tragedy struck. We were pulling together.

We are now a divided people all across this nation. There are divisions harsh words very difficult time, to lead this country maybe pray for those who do and those who preserve our freedom. Please bow with me Lord to a promise of your people, who are called by your name will humble themselves and pray and seek your face and turn from our wicked ways.

You will hear from heaven you will forgive sin our sins, and you will heal our land keyless overlord, merciful father lead us in your way.

Use your truth to bring counsel to those who lead direct us in your way.

Our father and provide protection in this violent era in which we live may receive the results of our day of prayer and maybe since your hand upon us your special blessing to those who wear the uniform. Those who lead troops in training and preparation and indecision regarding battle. May they be given wisdom, patience and understanding.

And may we all be given grace to live in harmony with one another for your greater glory.

We now give our gifts with confidence that you will use them for your purposes in your time and in your way. Use these gifts as you bless those who give and may those who receive your son know a piece they've never known before. Through Jesus Christ we pray in all God's people said Amen to study the Bible with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight.org/now the message from Chuck titled when unexpected tests rattle our world. God graciously fulfill his promise to Abraham and his wife Sarah came late in their lives, but he fulfilled it. He had told them you will have a son. You two will have a son.

It would be through this son, but the nations of the earth would be blessed. This was a child of promise, not only did he mean much to Abraham because of Abraham's age, but he was the fulfillment of the wonderful promise of God, so their lives became inseparable. The affection, the intense love between father and son cannot be put into words, not just an old man loving a little baby.

This is a son of promise finally arrives.

Abraham all over the years is being reminded again and again that God will give him a son he will give him a son. A decade past two decades past.

On their way to three decades before God finally said you'll now have a son.

Abraham had waited in faith, trusting in his God, and along came the boy. The child of promise were not given many conversations between father and son but you can be sure they were intimate and they were endearing that dad love that boy out of the blue with no time to prepare, not even having had a premonition that such would occur. God broke the silence and spoke to Abraham and the epochal event was initiated. All Abraham goes is the command to sacrifice his son were told why. At the very beginning of the 22nd chapter of Genesis, God tested Abraham's faith.

It wasn't a test between the lovable father and a son.

It was a test of faith between a man and his God. God came to the place where he needed to have proof or he chose to have proof of Abraham's faith in him with his faith in me be greater that his love for his boy, Abraham, Abraham, God called yes, he replied, here I am. He has no idea why God calls to him out of the blue. Here I am, take your son Isaac, whom you love so much and go to the land of Moriah go and sacrifice him as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will show you, doesn't even tell him which mountain yet that's all Abraham knows that command is an ethical moment.

No one expected, least of all hundred and 15-year-old or more. Father, who adores his son, I find. Here are three responses in the verses that follow. The first response is immediate notice in verse three. The next morning Abraham got up early this nothing said about the night before were not told of any complaining any pleading bargaining discussion with God in prayer were not told of any wrestling any reluctance were told only got up early. He got up early settlers donkey took two of her service with him along with his son Isaac probably had to awaken Isaac there are no words of explanation in the narrative. There is no dialogue until later.

The second thing I notice about the response. It is based on faith alone. He chop the wood he got the torch he set out for the place God had told him to go. It was a long ways away three days journey along the way and it's all based on faith in his God. Abraham you that his God has never done anything wrong. Nor would he ever be cruel, though he will be filled with mystery and surprise you. Remember that if you're clinging to something and you cannot figure out why you can't hang on to it because it is slipping from you. Abraham knows it's only a matter of time before his son will literally go up in smoke.

There was no hesitation. Please observe the first one to break the silence, is the son Isaac on the third day of their journey. Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance, stay here with the donkey. Abraham told the servant the boy and I will travel little farther. Please read carefully the next words we will worship their and then we will come right back. When you observe what he calls the sacrifice worship and we also notice the pronoun and the return not, I will come back, but we will come back he was told to sacrifice his son but he says we are going to worship and we will return we will come right back to appreciate that and understand how we could say it. We need the help of Hebrews 11 so please turned quickly to Hebrews 11 verse 17, 18 and 19. Hebrews 1117. It was by faith Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice. When God was testing him, Abraham, who had received God's promises was ready to sacrifice his only son Isaac.

Even though God had told him Isaac is the son, through your descendents will be counted.

I looked closely at the reason he was able to do it. Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again and in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

That's I could do it. How could he do it. It's called faith, believing that God is great enough.

If I take the life of my son to bring my son back to life and he and I walked back down the trail to where the servants are waiting with the donkey and we go back to our home. We will worship we will return.

The Lord is saying to him, in effect, I want your whole heart and that's exactly what Abraham gave him the instructions were that clear. I found these words meaningful from Oswald Chambers as he develops the whole idea of total abandonment. Those are words you will not read in today's media or you will not hear them either in a secular saturated society like ours, you will not read of total abandonment were in AMI is a mage words all about us, but in God's plan. It's all about him. So we live our lives in total abandonment to God or we should listen to what Oswald Chambers writes in his work. My utmost for his highest. Listen carefully. Faith is the heroic effort of your life you fling yourself in reckless abandon and confidence on God, God has ventured all in Jesus Christ to save us. Now he wants us to venture are all in abandon confidence in him. The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything, it has to face without wavering again and again you will get up to what Jesus Christ wants. And every time you will turn back when it comes to that point until you abandon resolutely, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold by common sense and leap into what he says Christ demands of the one who trust him. The same reckless spirit that is daring enough to step out of the crowd and bank his or her faith on the character of God love that is exactly what Abraham does.

His response was immediate. His response was based on faith alone, and now I notice his response is thorough and complete walk with the two of them as they make their way up the mountain verse six Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac shoulders while he himself carried the fire and the knife as the two of them walked on together. Isaac turned to Abraham and said father we have torch and the wood floors the sheep for the burnt offering Abraham's response is is worth a second look. Your Bible reads God will provide. He said more than that. He responded Elohim you know Elohim's draw hello.

Which means the Lord himself will provide.

In other words, it's all in his hands.

I don't know where the sheep is I don't know what God's plan is he himself will provide that. I think it's gracious about Abraham not to get too specific. He leaves it in the hands of the Lord as he releases his boy to the Lord at this point the Lord himself will provide what's amazing is no further dialogue is impressed with the silence of Isaac as I am with the words of Abraham. I mean, it's fairly obvious is an that if we don't have an animal he may be the one when they arrived as they both walked on together. Then when they arrived at the police were God had told him to go look at this Abraham built an altar.

The words are spoken. He tied his son, who didn't try to run who didn't answer back. There's no pushback and he laid him on the altar on top of the wood. I will tell you I read that in my study allowed a number of times to try to enter into the movement with one of my own voice.

Talk about an epochal experience. He lays Isaac on the altar, he lifts up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. Would he have done it absolutely, this is not about a father's love for son. This is about of father's faith. It is God, and at that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, Abraham, Abraham here hear is the response by the way, if you don't think punctuality is important. Take a look at that verse describes from heaven. The angel of the Lord directly came to Abraham there on that mountain called his name and carried the message from God directly to Abraham's ears and Isaac legs finally told her here's the name of his father in the words of the angel look totally a hand on the boy. Do not hurt him in any way for now I know that's what the test was all about.

I did interrupt the story, but I have to say that when such tests occur you. You will not know at the time what they are about.

But those tests come and you will realize later what it all becomes clear. Abraham hears now I know now I know you truly fear God. The word fear is not a word for fright, but these afraid of God is a word of respect. Now I know that I alone and number one.

Now I know that I mean more to you than anything on the planet. Now I know proof positive.

You passed with flying colors. Put the knife away late on the torch will use it later, but not with Isaac. Now I know that you truly fear God, you have not withheld from me even your only so familiar with Abraham story will know that Chuck Swindoll has much more ground to cover his message comes from the brand-new teaching series called clinging to hope. And today's topic is clinging to hope when unexpected tests rattle our world. To learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit us online@insideworld.org will hear it inside for living were prepared to send you a copy of Chuck's brand-new book, also called clinging to hope readers often tell us that Chuck has a way of stripping away the layers of complexity and helping us see the heart of the matter. That's certainly true.

This book, in clinging to hope Chuck validates our emotional weaknesses while at the same time, replacing them with solid biblical counsel for anyone dealing with disappointment, discouragement or disputes you greatly appreciate Chuck's latest book called, clinging to hope you can purchase a copy right now by going to Insight.org/hope or by calling us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888. These programs are made possible because people like you give generous gifts and for your support. People all over our country and even the world are engaging in the truth of God's word just as you have. It's encouraging to read the comments we received shalom from Israel. One person wrote and another said, greetings from El Salvador. Another said I first found inside for living while sitting in a jail in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Chuck helped me realize I need God in my life and I'm now 40 months clean from all drugs. This is the outcome of your financial partnership with Insight for living.

So thank you so much for your generous financial support. Day by day. Chuck Swindoll's Bible teaching is sent out via the airwaves from Texas and the program encircles the glow but it's the voluntary donations from friends like you that keep this outreach going to give a gift today.

Call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or you can go online to Insight.org/don't cruise ships leave the harbor for Alaska all the time, but there's only one that's hosted by Insight for living ministry, you're invited to travel with Chuck Swindoll this summer. Every moment of your vacation is thoughtfully prepared and protected so that you can enjoy the perfect balance of rest adventure relaxation, sightseeing just playing on all of the company of those who share your respect for God's word and God's creation.

This may very mountain of my life. The point all my life I wanted to see English when I stepped out on the deck of our shipping witness. The massive wall of ice. How it was truly breathtaking escape with Insight for living ministries to the great frontier. July 1 through July 2023: 1-888-447-0440. That's 188-847-0444 or learn more insight.org/events the tort of Alaska is paid for, made possible by only those who choose to attend Bill Meyer join us. When Chuck Swindoll continues his message called when unexpected tests rattle our world Friday on Insight for living. The preceding message when unexpected tests rattle our world was copyrighted in 2019 and 2022 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2022 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited