Today's Thought

Today’s thought from Genesis 22 through 24

 

Abraham is asked by God to make an extreme sacrifice.  He is asked to take his son, the son whom he loves, and sacrifice him on the mountain as a burnt offering.  Abraham knew the covenant, he knew of his relationship with God, and he knew of God’s power.  He also knew that being faithful had produced blessings and deeper relationship with God, where disobedience had brought misery and trial.  Abraham had seen God overcome Abraham’s enemies, destroy cities, and create life in a barren womb.  Abraham was familiar with the power of the God he served.  I also believe that Abraham trusted that God would provide. I don’t think he was just giving lip service to his son, when his son asked where the sacrifice was.  I also think that Abraham was prepared to go all the way with sacrificing Isaac.  While I believe that he didn’t know how God would provide he did in fact believe that God would fulfill his covenant promise and Abraham knew that that in involved Isaac.  This passage further demonstrates however that God does not dictate our relationship.  Abraham had a choice, and his choice affected his relationship.  God, tremendously pleased with Abraham’s faith and dedication, swears by himself that Abraham’s descendants will be as numerous as the stars and the sands of the beach.

 

I can’t imagine what Abraham must have felt when asked to sacrifice his son, being a recent father of my own son, it is unimaginable.  I have seen God do amazing things, lead myself and others into wonderful and challenging places.  Blessed me beyond my expectations and yet I can’t imagine being asked to do what Abraham did.  It is further evidence for me that the deeper we go into relationship with the father the greater the expectation, the greater the challenge, the greater the sacrifice.  I have seen it demonstrated countless times, that we can’t out give God.  Yet in our humanness, we question nearly every stage of the relationship, never fully getting past that God has even greater concern for us than we have for ourselves.

 

Have a great day