Testing

Consider "testing."  Think about Abraham and Isaac again.  Is God testing Abraham?  Does God do that?  Does he test us?

I recoil at the idea that tragedies in our lives are brought about by God as a way to test us.  I do understand that circumstances and events can test us or our faith, but is God the causative agent?

And if he is not, does that still leave the door open to the idea that God brings us to the brink of a decision in order to test us?  That would shed a whole new light on the idea of "lead me not into temptation."

Either way, we will be tested in life.  Our faith an our obedience will be tested.  How do we prepare for it; how do we react to it?  Perhaps those are the most important questions.