“God tested and proved Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, Here I am.” Genesis 22:1
First of all, how excited would you be to hear God’s audible voice holler at you?
“Take now your son, your only son Isaac, WHOM YOU LOVE, and go to Moriah; and OFFER him there…” (verse 2)
I’m sure you’ve read this before. I know I’d read this before. But maybe it’s the season I’m in or because my team has been discussing personal idols and what we find our identity in (for more of that, follow my teammates blogs), but I had never really sat and mulled over this story.
Isaac was his SON. I don’t have a son…no connection there. But he was also a long-awaited fulfillment of a promise…of a desire. Like we’re talking YEARS of waiting. In America, we think 30 minutes to wait for food is a long time, and with that, I’m pretty sure most would be outraged at having to surrender the hot meal in front of them.
Abraham waited and waited and waited. Then he got what he’d been promised and hoping for. AND THEN he got to enjoy it for around 25 years (estimated in historical Jewish writings). And THEN God said, “Give it back to Me.”
And Abraham didn’t complain. He didn’t say, “But, God…” He got up the next morning and went.
What do I love? What is He asking me to lay upon the altar for Him? Is it a dream? A longing? An activity? A person?
What thing is He pointing to and asking me, “Do you trust Me with this?”
We forget sometimes that Isaac was 25 years old. Not only was Abraham asked to offer what he loved, but Isaac was asked to lay down his life.
That’s what I felt the Lord was pointing at and asking me this morning…
“Do you trust Me with your life? Will you lay down your life…your future life: with its dreams, longings, your timetable, your desires…for Me?”
Later in Genesis 22, the Lord stops Abraham right before he slayed his son, and said, “Now I know that you revere God, since you have not held back from Me or begrudged giving Me your son…”
I don’t want to just dawdle and linger and, through much resistance, hand my life over. The blessing comes not in the obedience alone, but He sees our heart in the surrender as well.
Isaac’s very existence was the result of God keeping His word. Isn’t my very existence as a new being the result of that as well? Isn’t everyone’s who is in Christ?
What do you love? What is He asking you to lay down? What is He asking you to trust Him with?
