Anita’s Story

Anita was twelve years old. Her family had just emigrated from Chile, and she spoke heavily accented English. Anita loved Jesus, and she wanted to connect everyone she met to Him. Anita didn’t have the best clothes, and her teeth were crooked—she wasn’t what the kids would call “cool.” Anita wanted to get a Bible club going at her high school to introduce students to Jesus. Sounds like a potential disaster, right?

Anita prayed. She asked God to help her to:

    * >>speak better English;
    * >>meet a Christian teacher who would sponsor the club;
    * >>think of ways to connect her friends to Jesus.

            The Creator of the cosmos heard Anita and began to make things happen. Anita met a Christian teacher at her school, and they worked together for several months to get permission for the Bible club. Finally the club was able to meet. In the last six weeks of school, about twenty kids came each week. Some of them matched Anita’s heart for connecting to God and to their friends.

            During the next year, Anita’s club served fi fty students each week. Some became lifelong followers of Christ. All this happened because one young girl got connected to Jesus and trusted Him for everything! According to Anita, “God made it happen.”

            Genesis 22 tells the story of Abraham, who had been following God for about forty years. God had made many promises to Abraham during his life. Many of these promises dealt with Abraham becoming the father of a great nation, that Abraham and his wife, Sarah, would have a long line of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren . . . For twenty-fi ve years, however, they were not able to have even one child.

            Finally God gave them a son. They named him Isaac, which meant “laughter.” Sarah and Abraham must have had fun with their boy. He certainly was their joy and God’s fulfillment of His promise. When Isaac was about fi fteen years old, God came to Abraham and made a bizarre request. God said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and offer him . . . as a burnt offering” (verse 2). To Abraham the message was clear—he was supposed to kill his son as a sacrifice. Abraham could have refused to trust God, but he got ready the next morning to take Isaac up the mountain. God loved Isaac more than Abraham did and didn’t want to kill him. God wanted to test Abraham’s faith. It’s true that we fi nd out just who we are and what we believe when we face tough times. This was Abraham’s tough time! As they got close to the mountain, Isaac grew curious. “Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” he asked. Abraham replied, “God will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” Isaac gathered the wood and prepared the fi re for the sacrifice. Abraham was trusting God, even while his heart must have been breaking. Then, just as Abraham was getting ready to kill his son, God did provide an animal for the sacrifice, sparing Isaac. Abraham named the mountain “God-will-provide” or “God-will-make-it happen.” Abraham had to trust God to keep his son alive. And Anita had to trust God for the Bible club. >> For what do you need to trust God right now? >> What is your tough place? >> Do you think God will help you if you ask Him? Ask Jesus for help, right now. He is waiting for you to talk to Him. Jesus will make it happen!

(Genesis 22:1-19)