It’s been pretty hard to quit talking about faith. And it’s not just because I’ve been teaching on it each week at our Bible Study. But because for the last three months God has perpetually been making me walk my own out. In BIG ways. This week it was even bigger. It was the Abraham kind of faith. The walk up the mountain kind of faith. The, “are you willing to trust me with your promise” kind of faith. What I found is that the past three months had been preparation for that one moment.
That one moment of complete and utter surrender and trust. I know the promise God has given me. I just didn’t realize He would test my heart towards it so quickly. But He did. And honestly, probably better earlier than later. Because God is all about wanting to continually know that we are far more in love with the Giver of the Gift, than the gift itself. He is so gracious to fill our lives with good things. James writes in Chapter One, “every good and perfect gift is from the Lord.” I can’t imagine that verse wouldn’t be in there if God wasn’t pretty consistent in handing out good and perfect gifts. But He will come to us once we’ve received that gift and say, “Okay, now who are you going to serve? Where will your true allegiance lie? In me, or in what I’ve given you?”
Abraham had waiting a long time for Isaac. At least 25 years, but it could have been up to 40. Then there were 13 years between Ishmael and Isaac. And this man is old! Dirt old! Past viagra old! He is old. And he has waited for so long and finally God places in his hand this boy that he has longed for, prayed for, waited for, and when he holds this gift of God’s extravagant love in his hands, God says, “Now give him back.”
Man, I hate “give him back” moments. They are the epitome of faith. They are where faith is tested in its ultimate form. But without them, we can never see God in his fullest capacity. And if we’re not willing to walk faithfully through them, we will never know God in that secret place. Abraham was called a “friend of God” because He trusted God with everything. Including his greatest treasure.
I’m not sure what God may be asking you to surrender today, asking you to be willing to lay on the altar. But what I do know is that just like that ram was in the thicket waiting on Abraham’s obedience, God’s perfect provision for whatever He’s asking of us will be waiting as well. May we never become so consumed with the gift that we lose sight of the unspeakable and indescribable love of the Giver.
