R³ Devotional - Day 19

Have you heard Kyle say “God doesn’t want to know if you can, He wants to know if you will”?

Genesis 22 comes to my mind when I think of that chapter. God challenged Abraham and Isaac to obedience and they passed the test.  God knew it would be so very hard for Abraham to sacrifice his son, as God himself did. God allowed Abraham to say “yes”, but then allowed him the grace of the ram to take Isaac’s place. He wanted to know if Abraham would.

Real:  Life principles- What truths or principles are found in this passage?

• True faith is often tested, so you can learn to trust it. 
• True faith is a response to God’s calling on your life.  
• True faith submits and yields.  
• True faith obeys and is rewarded.  

Relevant:  Life Applications- How can this be applied?

What has God asked you to do for Him?  Here is the latest thing God asked me to do.  We recently traveled to Washington to explore mission opportunities.  While there, we attended a church service.  During this service, I was introduced to the pastor’s wife.  She seemed to me to be very burdened by something, but I had no clue what that might be.  I clearly felt God ask (tell) me that I was to pray for her.  Not quietly from my seat, but to approach her and speak to her first, then praying with her.   I did not feel comfortable doing it.  I sat through the whole service and argued with God a little bit.  Once the service was over though, I knew I had to be obedient.  I approached her and said all the things God asked me to say.  I’d love to say that she felt seen and we cried and bonded over the challenges of being a pastor’s wife.  Actually, I was obedient and she seemed not to really care either way! Her response is not what I was responsible for though- my obedience was.  

When God asks us to obey a directive, it can be scary.  It can be overwhelming.  It can seem like so much more than we feel we can do.  The truth is, we can’t do anything on our own.  We can only work through His strength and power to accomplish His goals.  I’ve heard parents say that delayed obedience is disobedience.  This is true with obeying God.  Abraham showed this in his own actions:  
“So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” (Gen. 22:3).  

Abraham obeyed the Lord through all of the required steps.  He went to the point of actually raising the knife, declaring to all that he was committed to doing what God asked him to do.  Abraham was not the only obedient one on that mountain though.  Isaac was obedient as well.  He could have run.  He could have fought back.  He could have done many things, but like Christ, he laid himself down to be given as a sacrifice.  At some point, he knew this was no ordinary trip.  He knew what God was asking of him as well.

Ready:  Life Actions- How will you apply this?

Pray that God will empower you with the strength to obey Him quickly and cheerfully.  
Pray that you will have the faith to follow through and that you will be strengthened by this testing of your faith.  Untested faith isn’t trustworthy.