FAITH CAPSULE: Obeying God’s word is a sacrifice.

Genesis 22

Giving God a reasonable sacrifice will provoke unexpected blessing from God.
In Genesis 22:2, God spoke to Abraham, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” God’s word for Abraham was costly. Sacrifice can be challenging and can be emotionally exhausting. Obedience sacrifice is to honor God which shall surely elevate man in every area of life to the glory of God.
Are you obeying to God as the Lord leads? Are you taking a self-step to obediently sacrifice to God?
Abraham did not questioned God when his one and only son Isaac was asked by God for burnt offering. Imagine, Abraham rose early in the morning to God’s word; he did not consult any man but moved in direction of God’s word. At the ground of his burnt offering of his only son Isaac, it was certain in the heart of Abraham to obey fully to God. Abraham received another call as stated in Genesis 22:11-13, “But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.”
What are you giving up to God? What are you holding from God? What is it you cannot give to God which is in position to give beyond expectation? Think from the depth of heart and know that all that you have, all that you are and all that you can be is in the hand of God. It is clear in the pages of the Bible that every reasonable obedience sacrifice will provoke God’s attention in every area of life. Will you consider the kind of sacrifice that you are rendering unto God? If your sacrifice is reasonable He will give unexpected reasonable visitation.
Abraham’s sacrificial obedience provoked God’s blessing as stated, “…By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.  In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”  Obeying God’s word is a sacrifice which provoked unexpected blessing of God for Abraham.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of obedience to His word in all areas of life.