Many times, God tests us in different ways to see if we really love Him. Yes, He is the God who knows all things, but He is also the God of love. Tests are a way to form a closer relationship with Him. Sometimes, we face these trials with complaints and don’t think about what God is trying to teach us. You see, without tests, we wouldn’t think that we need our Heavenly Father. He knows that we need Him, so He lets us know through this that we do need Him. Without Him we are nothing. In this essay, you will see the miracles that God performs in those lives who obey and love their God.

God separated Abraham from the idolatrous people and preserved his heart from idolatry.

His character was made to be a good example to others. God wants to do the same in our lives. We need to preserve ourselves from the sinful ways so that we can reflect our Lord’s character through us. We grow stronger through trials, don’t complain when they come to you. They make you think about life and appreciate the little things. Remember, God has a reason for everything.

A lesson to be learned from is the story of Abraham and his two wives. He became impatient and listened to his wife instead of trusting in the Lord. Does this remind you of yourself? We have all made a mistake like this at least once in our lives. We pray to God for something, but forget that our way isn’t always the right way. Our timing is not always the right timing. God’s way and timing is beyond perfect. Just wait and see God perform His miracles in your life.

When we do our way instead of God’s way, problems comes into our lives. When Abraham had a child with Hagar, Sarah started complaining and getting jealous. Not only Sarah was troubling Abraham, but Hagar did too. She began complimenting herself and said that she was the mother of many nations. Can you imagine how stressful Abraham was? Two wives arguing with each other just because of one mistake. Abraham could have saved all of this tangled up mess if only he waited for God’s promise to be fulfilled. God put these types of stories in the Bible for us to learn from them. Don’t make the same mistake that Abraham did, learn from his good acts, like the one I am about to tell you.

God commanded Abraham to do a very hard task. That task was to sacrifice his own son. You must be thinking, why would God ever ask someone to do such a thing? But remember what I told you before. God, has a reason for everything, no exceptions. Abraham did the total opposite of what he did in his previous test. Without hesitation, he obeyed his God with a willing heart. This time, he did not tell his wife Sarah what he would do. For he knew that she would mistrust God and not let them go.

Abraham and Isaac traveled three days to get to the mountain. He trusted that God would still fulfill that promise even tho he told him to kill his son. He knew that God would provide a way to fulfill it no matter what. God never changes, and His promises don’t either. When Abraham told his son what God had commanded, he obeyed immediately. Isaac said his goodbye to his father and laid on the wood. Right when Abraham was raising his arm to slay his son, an angel of God called him and told him not to kill him, for he passed the test of obedience. Abraham had now successfully finished the test and proved his faith in God.

The Lord blessed him because he faithfully obeyed His voice.
How the marriage of Isaac came together inspires me. This is because he put his future in God’s hand. We all need to be more like Isaac, willing to do God’s will no matter how much it affects our lives. Just like God chose the perfect wife for Isaac, he has chosen the perfect plan for our lives. We just need to be willing to do God’s will and accept His plans instead of ours. Whatever God has in store for us leads to the kingdom of heaven.

In the story of Jacob and Esau, we see again impatience and distrust in God’s plan. Rebekah was afraid that Esau would receive the blessing from his father even when God said that Jacob would. So she distrusted God and made up her own plan. Of course, did this not end well. Jacob ended up running away and never seeing his mother ever again. God always has a way of letting us know that His ways are higher than ours and that we should have obeyed His voice instead of ours.

When Jacob was returning to his homeland, he was very afraid that Esau would kill him. When he encountered God’s angel and wrestled with him, his determination to receive his blessing grew stronger and stronger. This is how we should be with God, not letting Him go until He blesses us. Although sometimes it can be hard, God is always there to help us when we call out to Him. Our faith grows stronger and stronger through trials when we cling on to His hand.

Just like Joseph and Moses, we will speak in front of high powers in the end of times. In Matthew 10:18-20 it says, “And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” If we allow Him, we can be used as tools to bring people closer to God.  Just like Joseph and Moses, we should stand firm in our faith in the Lord. The enemy cannot overcome those who obey God and love Him. “The enemy cannot overcome the humble learner of Christ, the one who walks prayerfully before the Lord. Christ interposes Himself as a shelter, a retreat, from the assaults of the wicked one. The promise is given, ‘When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him....’” – {ML 316.2}

Just how God’s power was revealed to the Egyptians, he will reveal His power through us in the end of times. Many will be converted by seeing our love for God. We can be like Joseph and Moses, but we need to become selfless and forget our ways. God’s way is perfect, He can transform our hearts if only we let Him.