“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Genesis 22:1-2
A couple of questions for you on this first Monday in August. Are you a hoarder or a hurler? Do you tend to place cardboard boxes of your earthly trinkets on top of other boxes full of dusty, earthly trinkets…or, do you hurl them out to the curb for the garbage pick-up? Sometimes it is really difficult to loosen up your white-knuckle grip to things that are still near and dear to your heart. One of the boxes I took to the curb was full of textbooks from college classes in 1970. Sometimes, letting something precious go is, on occasion, unbearable. Quite often, the release of a loved one at the cemetery cannot happen without inward bleeding and outwardly a river of tears and it can be stressful.
In the scripture reading from Genesis 22, Abraham faces a stressful challenge of being told to give up his firstborn son, Isaac. Taking a cardboard box of books to the curb is nothing compared to giving up my child. God tested Abraham's faith. "Abraham!" God called. "Yes," he replied. "Here I am." It was time for Abraham to turn Isaac loose. When Abraham followed God’s call, then came the greatest gift; a sheep. There are times in our lives when God nudges us to give up some things so He can bless us by our faith in Him and His directions. What is it God wants from you? Have you asked? If He has answered your prayer, have you followed His direction?
Perhaps God is asking you to surrender your long-held dream to follow His plan. Sometimes it’s better to change our direction, revise our plan or take another route; His route. What's keeping you from letting loose of your plan and following His? Fear? Unbelief? Pride? You will never be better off outside of what God has planned for you. Better to let loose today, so you will experience His provision tomorrow. Remember the promise given to Abraham? God will provide. He always has and always will.
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay