trust and obey

16 June 2010

Gen 21:1-2 Notice! God takes care of us. God keeps His promises to us. - At HIS appointed time! (and in His ways!)

Gen 22:5 "I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you."

Abraham was obedient to God - even to sacrificing his only son. But He also totally trusted God to keep His promise to make uncountable descendants through Isaac. So Abraham could confidently say, "WE will worship and return."

Gen 22:8 "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering." Present trust. And amazing prophecy! God in control, with Abraham in total co-operation with God - relationship!!

Abraham didn't have to "understand the details" - he just trusted the God whom he KNEW TO BE TRUSTWORTHY.

Gen 22:12 "..now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

Father, You know my heart. You know the things that mean so much to me - my family, my writing, etc. But You know that I AM willing to give them to You, to let You take them out of my hands, completely, permanently. After all, my family is far safer in Your hands than in mine - and You have promised that they ARE Yours! Thank You!

And my writing - well, I love doing it, I'd even like to make money from it (earn a living). But I am seeing more and more clearly that "I" have nothing of great value to share in my writing. So if I am to write, the words, the passion, must come from You. "The words of the Lord are pure words." (Psalm 12:6)And if You don't have words for me to write, then I happy give up writing, too, because "my words" are of no value, compared to whatever YOU have in mind for me to do, abiding in You. Thank You! :-)

I used to think that it must have been SO HARD for Abraham to offer up Isaac. But now I wonder...if Abraham hadn't already, long since, come to the place of offering up all he had to You - because he KNEW YOU, and thus could be certain that You are totally trustworthy. He already knew Your ways to be perfect, no matter how they might "look" in the human viewpoint. Maybe he could even step out and obey You in this "difficult" (even apparently "impossible" and "wrong") circumstance with JOY! I think so! For sure!

Wow! That is amazing! I CAN imagine that now, because I know You, too. And I therefore, in knowing You, trust You to be totally trustworthy, totally loving and caring, totally having the BEST in hand for all Your children. No matter how things look to me, to us, in the here and now.

Evil WILL be destroyed. And Your holiness WILL reign forever!

Praise the Lord!

Gen 22:14 "the LORD will provide."

Yes, You will! Always! (And You have - thank You for Jesus! Thank You, Jesus!) Praise Your Holy Name!

Gen 22:18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

Oh Father, I long that it may be said of me that I have obeyed Your voice. And, I'd be happy if my obedience brings blessings to others. I think it already has. Because every time any child of Yours is obedient, blessing does in some way come upon others - and You are blessed and glorified too, of course! Thank You!

(Obedience to You is in itself an outward sharing/expression of You, of Your love. And Your love is always a blessing!)

Thank You!