Tuesday Reading: Genesis 22:11-14
Key Verse: Genesis 22:12
12 And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad, nor do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only one, from Me.
Devotion:
I am sure that we have all read or heard the story of Abraham taking Isaac up to be sacrificed; the test that God put before Abraham so that all may know about Abrahams fear and reverence to God. It was not God’s intention that Isaac should ever be actually sacrificed because He had already lined up a perfect sacrifice for all. There is and was never a need for anyone to offer up a human sacrifice because God already knew that He would send Jesus Christ as that sacrifice for us all.
There are probably times in each of our lives when we start to think that God is asking a bit much of us or when we wonder whether God is watching. It is at times like that that we need to bring this recount of Abraham’s faith to the front of our thoughts. Not only is it encouraging seeing such an act of faith from Abraham’s point of view, but it is equally encouraging to see God’s faithfulness demonstrated by the fact that the Angel of the Lord was watching over him. We need to remember these demonstrations of faith and faithfulness and try ourselves to follow in Abraham’s footsteps.
It is not a requirement that we must demonstrate our faith before God will show His faithfulness for His promises to us. He has already shown His faithfulness by giving us a perfect sacrifice almost two thousand years ago. He has shown us His love right from when He created heaven and earth and continues to show us all manner of blessings. Like Abraham, it may only be when we do show our faith and dependence on God that we will see just how much He does care for us. If we depend on ourselves and not God, then how are we going to see how much He is actually doing for us? By depending on God like He has said that we should, we will be able to see how much He does for us and when He does it for us, just like Abraham and Isaac were able to see God’s faithfulness.
Points to Ponder:
Do you depend on other people (like your parents)?
Are you depending on God?
