Starting point, we were a crowd
Milling mass of humans
But when we got to the fence
We were just a handful
Of trusted hearts and known faces
But on that mountain
It was just the two of us
Just God and me, alone.
We are continuing to harvest lessons on finding and living God’s will, from how Abraham handled God’s tough request that He sacrifices his son. God asked, the decision to do it was Abraham’s. God will always speak: it is our choice to listen and to perform. God does not force us. Because we choose to obey or disobey, we truly can’t blame God for our choices, good or bad. We enjoy the benefits of obedience and live with the consequences of disobedience. Abraham did amazing things that have become markers we can adopt in our pursuit of finding and living Abba’s will.
Abraham took only those and things that were truly needed on his journey to the mountain where the sacrifice was to be made. No, he didn’t take his whole household to go say final goodbye to a dear son who was about to be sacrificed without his consent. Abraham took just a handful of people for that journey and when they got close, he took only his son the rest of the way. If we want to make it in our walk with God, we must learn to keep distractions away: the farther the better. (Matthew 22:5.)
Our penchant for show, for public approval, general acceptance and recognition as “doers” of God’s will, more than anything else disqualifies us, not from finding per say but from living the will of God we know. Well-meaning and evil-intentioned folks will stop you if you disclose the sacred before it’s time. The importance of discernment cannot be overemphasized if we must live to do His will. Abraham knew who to leave out, who to leave behind, who to take along, how far and how close they needed to come. We must learn that also in our relationships, the different categories and levels of confidence to risk with each.
Another thing Abraham did was walk the walk first and talk the talk later. Many of us jump out with our mouth first before our feet. Not only was Abraham walking instead of talking the process, when eventually he did speak, he spoke faith. Of course we all know he’s going to kill his son up there in the name of God but he spoke faith to the young men that undertook a part of that journey with them, “The boy and I will go and worship God up there and ‘we’ will come back to you.” Even when Isaac asked, He responded, “God will provide for Himself, a lamb for the sacrifice.”
Those are not the words of a panicked or worried father about to lose his beloved son and hope of continuity. Doesn’t that make you go, what manner of faith is this? Not only did God meet Abraham at the pinnacle of his faith on that mountain, many years later, God provided another Lamb on Golgotha. Like Abraham, God sacrificed His own Son for all mankind (Matthew 22:5-8.)
(To be continued March 6, 2020)
Glory!