Giving Till It Hurts

Read Genesis 21:1–23:20

9. When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.
10. And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice.
11. At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”
12. “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”
13. Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Genesis 22:9-13

What comes to mind when you hear the word children? Small children can take everything out of us, yet they can also brighten our lives with a cute action, a smile, or a loving word.

After years of waiting and several tests of faith, at last Sarah conceives and has a baby—Isaac, or “Laughter”—the promised son. But Abraham’s faith must undergo one more test.

Tests of faith share the spotlight in this passage with other important lessons. As you read, note also what Abraham and others learn about the seriousness of sin; the importance of mourning; and the effect of a good reputation.

Through the years, Abraham had learned many tough lessons about the importance of obeying God—when he was called out of Ur, when he went to Egypt, and when he had to wait for Isaac’s birth. Initially, Abraham did not always show that he trusted or believed God; but through each test, he saw God’s willingness and ability to keep his promises, even if it took a miracle.

That is why God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:1-2), to kill his beloved, only son—his miracle child—on an altar. God did not want Isaac to die, but he wanted Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in his heart so that he could learn to trust God completely (see Hebrews 11:19). Imagine what Abraham must have felt as he walked with Isaac up the mountain, each torturous step leading him painfully closer to unspeakable grief. Yet Abraham obeyed, and God honored his faith.

Obeying God may often be quite a struggle because it may mean giving up something that we truly want. We should not expect our obedience to God to be easy or to come naturally. Just as fire refines ore to extract precious metals, God refines us through difficult circumstances. When tested, we can complain or we can obey, trusting God as we try to see how he is teaching us. In what ways might God be testing your faith? What steps of faith do you need to take today to obey him?