Go the Distance
Yesterday as I was reflecting on Genesis 22: 1-12 these things came to my mind and heart. Before Abraham climbed the mountain with Isaac, he left the donkey with the servants and said something very interesting that I had never seen before. He told the servants, "stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you."
We will come back to you. Abraham had the faith before going through with his obedience that God would provide a way out. He had faith in the promise. He knew Isaac was the promise of God. Even though he was asked to sacrifice Isaac, put the promise on the alter, he knew prior to the sacrifice and spoke it to his servant that they would return. That's faith.
Abraham still walked in obedience. He still climbed the mountain with Isaac. He still placed the wood on the alter, bound his son, put his son on that alter, and raised the knife...Abraham went the distance.
Can I do that? Can I first have the faith that God will provide according to his promise? Can I declare that out loud that God is a God of promise even when He calls me to sacrifice things that are directly in line with that promise or may be the only way for that promise to be fulfilled? Can I do that? Next, can I go the distance in my obedience? Can I follow His directions even if it means giving up the very promise He's given me, trusting that He can make a way even if it means sacrificing the only means by which that promise could come true? Oh, Abraham, what faith you had! No wonder the Lord credited it to you as righteousness.
I am interested in your thoughts. Have you had to sacrifice a promise? Have you had to go the distance with something? Are you currently struggling with going the distance?
I am having to surrender on several fronts various promises but need to remember that I can declare with my mouth that God is a God of promise. He is a promise keeper. I must pray for the courage to go the distance in the surrender and the sacrifice to the glory of God for He will provide a way at some point...even if it is at knife point.
This makes me want to structure my prayers so that I can see, through the lenses of God, that whatever sacrifice I may be feeling I need to make is worth it. Sometimes we only look at the sacrifice and we forget to look beyond that or we forget to look at it from God's perspective.
ReplyDeleteI had to think about this chapter as I read it. How did Abraham know ? If we said God told me to take my son up the mountain and kill him, we'd be put in prison, but as you said, he knew that God had a promise. And the light came on in chapter 24 when Abraham spoke with such confidence again. He knew a wife would be found for his son. He simply replies that God is going to send an angel with you and it will be successful. He could say this because he had been living in the presence of the Lord. (vs. 40). He knew God!! That is my prayer!
ReplyDeleteYes! He knew God! My hope is to know God in such a way as well! Thank you for sharing this!
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