Let's imagine that God placed you on a special assignment in a moment's notice. Tonight, you must get a full night of rest because the next day you will be required to take a journey to a designated mountainside. This will be no leisurely, scenic stroll through the park. In this instance, you will be required to take your most valued possession, no matter how long you've had it, and offer it as a sacrifice unto the Lord. This assignment is a pass/fail test of your faith, a non-negotiable clause that will determine if you're ready to advance to the next level. You may contend that a loving, compassionate God would never be so cruel as to grant a gift unto someone, only to snatch it away in heartbeat, right? Let's take a look at a specific case study in the Word of God that may jolt your perception.
In the 22nd chapter of Genesis, God instructs Abraham to take an extended journey to Mt. Moriah and bring his beloved son Isaac, but only to be presented as a burnt offering unto Him. Imagine the perspective of young Isaac: he thinks that he's going on a special weekend camping trip with his father. He is perfectly oblivious to any immediate danger because he knows his father has his best interest at heart and completely trusts him. Abraham begins to gather wood for an altar and creates a fire, a ritual that Isaac is all too familiar with. He anticipates that his father is going to perform a customary praise offering to God, but the only thing that is missing is the lamb to be sacrificed. The moment of truth has now arrived: Abraham reaches for Isaac and binds him to the altar to be sacrificed. Isaac must be completely paralyzed with fear and confusion, wondering what violation could he have committed to incur his father's wrath. Abraham is fighting back tears of grief as he agonizes over the bitter reality of losing the very miracle that God had bestowed upon him.
I have spent a significant amount of time reflecting on the depth of this story. Is my faith in God secure enough in that I would be willing to drop everything in a moment's notice and follow His perfect will? The issue that we all have to address is identifying every area in our lives that we cling to for reassurance. Some people place their esteem in relationships, while others gain assurance from the net worth of their personal assets. I notice that I place a significant amount of confidence in the stability of my career. I enjoy the proximity of earning a steady income because I know that my immediate expenses will be met. However, what if God commanded me to lay down my stable career on the altar as a sacrifice unto Him?
Jesus still requires that we must be willing to 'pick up our cross' and follow Him daily, no matter what it may cost us. As we still continue to navigate through the uncertainty of this global pandemic, many of you have experienced a measure of loss in multiple ways. You may be depending on a miracle to help you transition to the next phase. The only way to accomplish this expectation is to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. When we operate in our own strength, it is easy to rely on things that we are familiar with. Many of our daily pursuits may be inherently good things, but may not lead us to the pathway of eternal life. Once we learn to yield completely to Spirit of the Lord, He can now perfect the areas in our lives that we have neglected and establish us for His glory!
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