Genesis 22:1
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
Genesis 22:2
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
Sometimes in life we are confronted with problems and situations that are hard to face and deal with. Facing and dealing with life’s realities and everything else that comes along will put us through the ultimate test as we struggle, battle and fight of our situation. Life, at times, seems so unfair and unjust. But, when we face life on a daily basis, hour by hour, in our moments of weakness we have to find the strength, through the Lord, to endure it.
God told Abraham to take his son, Isaac, and offer him up as a sacrifice unto God. I’m not saying God is going to require that much of us. However, there are things in life that will take a toll upon us if we let them. Many times we try to face things on our own; we try to work it all out by ourselves without calling upon the Lord. We don’t have to face it alone. Abraham didn’t face it alone. He followed God; he obeyed and did as the Lord instructed. In the end, God was there. He spared Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham was at a point in his life where he had to make a choice, choose a way. At the same time, he was torn between two loves, his love for God and his love for his son. But, what did Abraham do? He put it all in God’s hands and trusted in Him. Even if God had chosen to take Isaac as a sacrifice, God could have raised Isaac from the dead and out of the ashes of the burnt offering.
Life, sometimes, is devastating and can cause us some troubled times. But, I truly believe, it’s how we deal with and handle the situations that will make all the difference in the world. Facing it as we come to it with the Lord will bring us through if we will hold true to Him.
Genesis 22:3
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
Genesis 22:4
Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
Abraham went well prepared to face the situation. He was willing to take his stand whatever the outcome. Facing life as it comes, step by step, will assure us a more solid stand with fewer mistakes and failures.
Genesis 22:5
And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
Genesis 22:6
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
Getting control of the situation at hand and walking with our eyes upon the Lord will help strengthen us to achieve the task that lies before us. Divorce, death and sickness are among the few devastating events in our life. Sometimes our whole life is changed (seems like overnight). Our world crashes down around us and we wonder which way to go. Choosing to walk with the Lord or choosing to walk it alone as we face life will determine how hard or easy we will go through it. It is our choice, our life.
Genesis 22:7
And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
Genesis 22:8
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Many times we try to rely on our quick fixes, short cuts and short term solutions instead of enduring it to the end or facing it as it comes. Sometimes the quick fixes may be alright but they may not last for long. It is when we rely on the Lord, His will and His way that we can know, trust and believe things will be alright. Isaac said, “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide a lamb.” Facing it as we come to it and facing it with the Lord means everything.
Genesis 22:9
And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
Genesis 22:10
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
Genesis 22:11
And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
Genesis 22:12
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Genesis 22:13
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
Genesis 22:14
And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
It doesn’t matter what we are facing. No matter how big or how small and how good or how bad it may be, if we have God on our side then who will be against us. We have to take the things the world dishes out to us on our knees in earnest prayer. Be strong, be bold and be unmovable in the power of God’s word, spirit and His son. Face it as it comes. Don’t rush in and try to put the cart before the horse. Be patient; trust in the Lord, His will and His way. For greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
God told Abraham to take thy son Isaac and offer him up as a sacrifice. Abraham and Isaac went to the place where God told them to go. Isaac said, “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb.” Abraham looked and behold there was a ram caught by the horns in a thicket (God spared Isaac).
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
God has already made the sufficient sacrifice for us and our sins which was Jesus Christ His son. We have to accept Him in our heart and life as our Lord and Savior. Facing it as we come to it, day by day and one step at a time God will either take away the problem or He will see us through it. All we have to do is believe and face each problem as it comes. We have to deal with the problem on its terms and allow the Lord to guide us through it. In His word, spirit and son we can find all our answers.
Matthew 6:33-34
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
There may be times when we will not always have the answer. Fortunately for us, God will. Be still, pray, read his word and stand on His promise.
Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
The first thing we need to know in our heart is that God is God.
Revelation 22:13
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Remember these key words – prayer, faith, patience, obedience and love.
If God be for us then who can be against us?
*****
In Times of Quitting
Living and Hanging on the Edge
In my troubles, the Lord found me just as I was. In my distress, the
Lord found me just as I was. As I was, I gave Him my all. It was then that He delivered me and set me free. Once I found peace in Him, my troubles and distress were gone.
− b. a. troutt