Bible Reading: Genesis 21, 22.
“And he said , take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”
Genesis 22:2 (KJV)
God made a promise to Abraham, God gave him a command and an amazing promise. In Exchange for his obedience , God proclaimed that He will bless him, make him great, bless those that bless him, curse those that will curse him. Abraham left His family and friends to obey God, he left behind security and comfort to obey the LORD. He took that risk for a promise of God to make him the father of all nations.
Now 10 years later, he still has no children and was getting old to have any. Now! I wonder what was going on in his mind ” how can you be a father of all nations without a child?” Abraham was in good standing with God, Abraham believed God and it was counted for him as righteousness.
Over 15 years later, Isaac was born. 12 years after the birth of Isaac God told him to take his son, his only son and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. What was God trying to do, to kill his son he has waited for 25 years and more? This son that was the only means to which God will fulfill His promise to Abraham, to make him the father of all Nations. Now God is apparently going to kill him!
Abraham believed God, He saw the future, he remembered the picture of His future that God had showed him aforetime. He believed God, that even if Isaac dies, somehow, God will raise Him up. Abraham saw it, He knew it, he seized iT, and it came to pass .
God tested Abraham, his total obedience to God. At first He told him, leave your country; “GIVE UP YOUR PAST “, He said again to him, sacrifice Your son, God was saying” GIVE UP YOUR FUTURE FOR ME” God wanted to see if Abraham fully trusted Him enough to obey him totally even when it it doesn’t make sense. …And JEHOVA JIREH, the God that provides, provided a lamb for the sacrifice.
God wants us to surrender our lives to Him totally so He can provide for us. He is faithful to Keep to His promises. If He has said it, then He will do it.
Friends, don’t give up on God, He is able. He has the best intention for us. Just obey and trust Him. Abraham had reasons to doubt God, but never did. He trusted God to be willing to give up everything; even His past, future and present.
IF YOU CAN SEE IT, THEN YOU CAN GET IT.
For Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross. Christ trusted His life in the hand of God even to His death on the cross. When God shows you the picture of your future, and you see it truly, then it alleys all fears, it builds confidence, it terminates struggle and confusion in your life.
The mother of Jesus, speaking to them at the wedding in Cana of Galilee in John 2:5 (KJV) she said to them: “whatever He tell you to do, just it” Dear reader, if you can do whatever He tells you to do, be rest assured you will be entitled to what He provides. He will go before you, go with you and you will enjoy divine presence and peace.
Prayer:
Father, endue me with the spirit of Obedience to obey you always.
Pastor Chido Iroham