Sunday morning our Pastor preached on Genesis 22 where God called Abraham to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice before the Lord. We've all heard and read this passage of scripture, but never have I heard it with the spiritual ears I heard it with Sunday.
For twenty five years Abraham and Sarah waited for this promised child, for twenty five years they imagined, planned, expected, anticipated, and trusted God for this promised child, (the child in which the lineage of the awaited Messiah would come). Imagine Abraham's surprise when God called him to take Isaac, "his son, his only son, whom he loved" to Mount Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering. This command seemed most conflicting with God's promise in Genesis 15 when Isaac's birth was promised, "but one who shall come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir. And He took him outside and said, now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to Him, so shall your descendants be." In Genesis 12 God tells Abraham, "I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the the earth shall be blessed."
I began thinking of how Abraham's radical faith and obedience affected so much more than just His current circumstances. His circumstances at the time were seemingly that he was about to lose his son that he had waited on for so long. His focus however was not on his circumstances, but on God's promises. Abraham remembered God's promises and his faith and obedience came out of a belief and trust that God knew what He was doing.
God promised something marvelous to Abraham, however, Abraham's focus was on the promiser of the promise. He trusted God to do what He said he was going to do.
And Abraham said to his young men, "stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder; and WE will worship and return to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his on, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of the them walked on together. And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "here I am my son," And he said, "behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burn offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together. Genesis 22: 5-8
James 1:27 says, "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
We have felt a very specific call on our lives pertaining to this verse. We have felt and confirmed God's call for us to open our family to an orphan. God has confirmed this call in several different ways; and now we are trusting Him for the provisions for His call. At times it's easy to believe that He will provide and at other times, I find myself questioning whether or not He is going to provide (silly I know). But this past Sunday, I was really challenged by Abraham's response to God when God told him to offer up his son as a burnt offering. Abraham responded in immediate faith and obedience. I am so challenged by His faith! God's command sparked immediate action on Abraham's part; because Abraham trusted God to fulfill His promises despite the circumstances.
My sinful unbelief waves its ugly head more often than I care to admit. I am often discouraged and lose faith when my circumstances seem bleak and dim; but I tell you, after reading through fresh eyes on Sunday about a man who trusted in the promises and goodness of God, I have been refreshed and challenged to a new level to trust God and to have radical faith and immediate obedience, even when it seems as though things don't make sense.
Praying for God to do what will glorify Himself most and to give me the faith to trust Him as He does. He funds what He favors and I choose to believe that; Lord help my unbelief! Thankful for His Word and the encouraging reminders that stem through the pages of His GOODNESS! He made great intervention in order to secure salvation for those that would trust in Him; He promised not to leave us as orphans and that He would come for us...
lingering on that thought for a while....
For twenty five years Abraham and Sarah waited for this promised child, for twenty five years they imagined, planned, expected, anticipated, and trusted God for this promised child, (the child in which the lineage of the awaited Messiah would come). Imagine Abraham's surprise when God called him to take Isaac, "his son, his only son, whom he loved" to Mount Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering. This command seemed most conflicting with God's promise in Genesis 15 when Isaac's birth was promised, "but one who shall come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir. And He took him outside and said, now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to Him, so shall your descendants be." In Genesis 12 God tells Abraham, "I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the the earth shall be blessed."
I began thinking of how Abraham's radical faith and obedience affected so much more than just His current circumstances. His circumstances at the time were seemingly that he was about to lose his son that he had waited on for so long. His focus however was not on his circumstances, but on God's promises. Abraham remembered God's promises and his faith and obedience came out of a belief and trust that God knew what He was doing.
God promised something marvelous to Abraham, however, Abraham's focus was on the promiser of the promise. He trusted God to do what He said he was going to do.
And Abraham said to his young men, "stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder; and WE will worship and return to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his on, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of the them walked on together. And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "here I am my son," And he said, "behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burn offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together. Genesis 22: 5-8
James 1:27 says, "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
We have felt a very specific call on our lives pertaining to this verse. We have felt and confirmed God's call for us to open our family to an orphan. God has confirmed this call in several different ways; and now we are trusting Him for the provisions for His call. At times it's easy to believe that He will provide and at other times, I find myself questioning whether or not He is going to provide (silly I know). But this past Sunday, I was really challenged by Abraham's response to God when God told him to offer up his son as a burnt offering. Abraham responded in immediate faith and obedience. I am so challenged by His faith! God's command sparked immediate action on Abraham's part; because Abraham trusted God to fulfill His promises despite the circumstances.
My sinful unbelief waves its ugly head more often than I care to admit. I am often discouraged and lose faith when my circumstances seem bleak and dim; but I tell you, after reading through fresh eyes on Sunday about a man who trusted in the promises and goodness of God, I have been refreshed and challenged to a new level to trust God and to have radical faith and immediate obedience, even when it seems as though things don't make sense.
Praying for God to do what will glorify Himself most and to give me the faith to trust Him as He does. He funds what He favors and I choose to believe that; Lord help my unbelief! Thankful for His Word and the encouraging reminders that stem through the pages of His GOODNESS! He made great intervention in order to secure salvation for those that would trust in Him; He promised not to leave us as orphans and that He would come for us...
lingering on that thought for a while....
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