Date: 01-07-2021

Title: Abraham’s Obedience

(S) cripture:
    Genesis 22:4-14 (NLT2) On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.” 6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” 8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together. 9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” 12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the LORD will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

(O) bservation:
    Abraham’s faith and obedience is tested when he is asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac, as a burnt offering to the Lord. Abraham obeys and trusts in God’s promise of an heir through which God would bless all the nations of the world. Somehow God would provide. When Isaac asks his father where the sacrifice was Abraham’s responded, “the Lord would provide”. And that is just what happened. God provided a ram just as Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac.

(A) pplication:
    Obedience is often tough. Sometimes it does not seem to make sense to our finite minds. Too often we try to help God or figure out an alternative plan that seems to make sense to us. Problem is that in both ways we are being disobedient and miss God’s provision and work in our lives. Today I will seek to do what God prompts me to do whether is makes sense or not, I want to live by faith and to walk obediently with Him.

(P) rayer:
    Lord you know my heart and my desire to obey you and your word. Make me aware of when I am making my own plans or trying to skirt around what you have asked me to do. I want to walk closely to you and to experience your provision constantly in my life. Today I will seek to be obedient. Amen