‘Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”’ Genesis 22:2 (NIV).
We cannot even begin to imagine how painful this command by God to Abraham was. But God did not ask Abraham to do this because He delighted in watching both father and son suffer. God planned to entrust Abraham with much in the years to come so He needed a man who would be devoted to Him first and foremost.
God wanted Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in his heart so it would be clear that Abraham loved God more than his long-awaited son. God tested Abraham to deepen his capacity to obey God and so develop his character.
The purpose of God’s testings in our life is also to strengthen our character and deepen our commitment to Him and His perfect timing. Through this experience Abraham grew in His relationship with God and also learned about trusting God’s ability to provide.
For as we know in this case, Isaac did not die. Instead God provided a ram caught in a thicket to be the sacrifice on the altar Abraham had built (verse 13).
Prayer:
‘Dear Lord, there are things in my life that I hold dear. If you ask, help me to surrender them to you. Thank you Jesus that you sacrificed your life so that I could be with you forever. I want this relationship with you to always be first. Give me the courage to lay down whatever stands in the way of loving you with all of my heart.’
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
AMEN!
Final Thoughts:
But Abraham was asked to sacrifice more than Isaac. In this event, Abraham was prepared to sacrifice all he held dear in his heart to the Lord. And because he was prepared to do this, God honored Abraham. God will also test us to see whom or what our heart holds dear. Are we prepared to sacrifice all else for the love we have for Jesus?
What have we secured our affections upon that needs to be sacrificed on the altar of love? The spiritual benefits of God’s blessings far outweigh our sacrifices. And each time we are ready to sacrifice something dear to us, God will provide us with abundant blessings because we have obeyed Him.
Be Greatly Blessed!
