Take now your son…and offer
him…as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.
—Genesis 22:2
{CHAMBERS} “A person’s character determines how he interprets God’s
will (see Psalm 18:25-26). Abraham interpreted God’s command to mean that he
had to kill his son, and he could only leave this traditional belief behind
through the pain of a tremendous ordeal. God could purify his faith in no other
way. If we obey what God says according to our sincere belief, God will break
us from those traditional beliefs that misrepresent Him. There are many such
beliefs which must be removed– for example, that God removes a child because
his mother loves him too much. […] But if we will stay true to God, God will
take us through an ordeal that will serve to bring us into a better knowledge
of Himself. The great lesson to be learned from Abraham’s faith in God is that
he was prepared to do anything for God. He was there to obey God, no matter
what contrary belief of his might be violated by his obedience. […] Never
declare as Peter did that you are willing to do anything, even “to go …both to
prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). Abraham did not make any such statement— he
simply remained true to God, and God purified his faith.
{ELGIN} We should never agree to do something for God with the
thought that if we do, God will give it back to us. That is one lesson that you might take away
from Abraham and Isaac. The fact is that
Abraham had already sacrificed Isaac in his heart. He had fully yielded to the sovereignty of God.
No stings attached. Loving God with all
your heart means that there is no room for anything else. Although love for others is a product of your
love for God it is not and should never come before your love of God. And certainly your love of the things of this
world .. those things that provide physical and emotional comfort should never
come before God and others. So let’s say
that God asks you to leave your job or sell your home or be separated from your
family for a while. What would you say
to God? What you make the condition that
God restore those things as they were before you acted on His calling? Remember the rich young ruler who asked Jesus
what he needed to do to have eternal life?
He was proud of what he had done with respect to the Law, but Jesus,
knowing the man’s heart, said “Sell all you have, give it to the poor and
follow Me.” (Mark 10:21) Notice Jesus did not add – “If you do I promise to give
everything back to you.”
If you know it’s God speaking
and you hesitate to say yes and obey then it’s because what you have been asked
to lay down is more precious to you than your love for God. God is not enough. Rick Warren said ”God is more interested in
your character than in your comfort.”
Listen I have met a number of people who would fly to Haiti, a third world
country, on a “mission” trip and expect to have air-conditioning and other
comforts while they stayed there. Their willingness to serve others was
conditional on their own creature comforts being preserved. Are you will to abandon your comfort to
follow Jesus? I am not suggesting you
turn your air conditioners off … what I am encouraging you to do is not put the
love of comfort, being cool on a hot day, ahead of your love for God. Jesus asked His followers ……
(Matthew 21:28-32) ""What do you think? There was a man who had
two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the
vineyard.' "'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and
went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He
answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did what his
father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them,
"Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the
kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of
righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the
prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe
him."
Something to think and pray
about. Saying “Yes” is not enough, it must be followed with obedience.
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