1/8/08 - Life Journal - Oh, for the faith of Abraham

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take 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." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac.
Genesis 22:1-3

Abraham seems pretty calm here considering the circumstances. There's a reason he's listed near the beginning of "the faith chapter" of the bible, Hebrews 11. He exercised his faith in the covenant that God made with him like no one in history ever has. He was standing there, knife in the air, ready to strike down his son because he believed what God said. God would provide an alternate sacrifice or raise Isaac from the dead. Abraham had no doubt about this for God had said to him, "I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted." He knew his name would continue on through Isaac for God also told him, "...for through Isaac shall your offspring be named." Right up until God intercedes with the ram Abraham never lost faith. You can hear it in his words; "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you" and "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son."

God has made numerous promises with me; from his plans to prosper and not harm me (Jer.29:11) to not being tempted above what I can handle (1 Cor.10:13) to the ultimate in covenants in sacrificing His son, in whom if we believe, we will have eternal life. Can I live my life as Abraham did, free from this world because I hold the promises of God to be true? It's the only way to go. The liberation to live in Him is awesome. Anything else is treating God as if He has lied and His sacrifice is wasted.

God, I feel so free when I am living in You but I still recede to my past. It's happening less and less. I live for the day when it happens no more.