Christianity Oasis Forum

[logi bear]

A devotional from my church, enjoy!

Obedience Brings Blessing


If you’ve never read Genesis 22 before, read it. This chapter gives us the Father’s perspective concerning the Son, and the Cross. Psalms 22 and 69 represent the perspective of the Son, Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 53 we see a representation of the church—us, for whom Jesus was slain. The Gospels give us the account of the crucifixion of Jesus. But in Genesis 22, we see the Father’s heart.

If you don’t know this, one thing you need to know is that no one took the life of Jesus. Jesus said that He came and He gave His life. No one took His life. He willingly laid down His life, for you and for me. This was the plan before the foundation of the world, for man’s redemption.

In Genesis 22 we see that Abraham willingly followed the Father’s plan. The Words: love, worship, lamb and obey are all words that appear in the Bible. The first occurrence of each of these words is in Genesis 22!

God is testing Abraham. Do you like to be tested? I never liked tests. Why does God test us? God allows us to go through trials and tribulations. Many times when we are going through a trial or being tested, we wonder why? What did I do, Lord? The book of James tells us, “Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He, Himself tempt anyone.” The Lord is never tempting or testing us to sin. Satan tempts us and tests us to sin. When the Lord tempts or tests us, it’s to show us our hearts—to reveal to us where we are really at in our walk with Jesus. It’s always for our good and benefit. Just like any test is for a student, when they take a test on the knowledge they have in a particular subject, it’s for their benefit--to see the areas where they need to improve or grow. After being tested, a student then knows where they need further study. The Lord also tests us to bring the junk out of our lives—to purify us.

“The Engineer may know full well that His design will stand the stress and strain to which it is subjected because He knows that it has been designed properly. Nevertheless, the construction specifications will require that it be tested, not to assure the Engineer, but to assure the public, that it will stand.”

In Genesis 22, Abraham is told, by God, to take his son, his only son, whom he loved, and lay him on the altar and offer him up as a burnt offering. A burnt offering is a submission offering—willingly submitting. If God came to you, and He said, “I want you to lay your son down on an altar for a burnt offering,” you would think that was crazy. But Abraham rose up early in the morning and obeyed.

Abraham had no clue what God was doing. In Hebrews 11:17-19 we are told that by faith Abraham was tested, and he offered up Isaac. He knew God’s promises.

When we find ourselves in a storm, and God is molding and shaping us into the image He wants us to be, we don’t know at the time what He is doing. But we need to follow the example of the Father of our Faith, Abraham. Go with it! Trust God. Believe His promises. Go with the flow of the Spirit of God. Abraham’s faith was so great in God that he believed, even it had to be, though God had another plan, that the Lord would take those ashes, after something is burned, and breathe life into them, and somehow make His son come back to life. He knew that God would do it. Abraham believed God’s promise.

Let’s follow Abraham’s example and bow down our will to the Father. Worship Him. Trust in His promises. Abraham went up that hill and he bowed down his will to the Father. He went forward to do what didn’t make sense and what other people might call crazy. Let’s be those radical Christians, sold out for Jesus Christ. Believe the Word and follow it. Stay the course! God desires to bless you and He loves you. When you honor God, and walk by faith, He will blow you away with His blessings. That’s what God wants to do in your life.

Abraham was promised that all nations would be blessed through his seed. Abraham’s “claim to fame” was obedience. Genesis 22:18 records the first time that the word, “obey” is used in the Bible. And because Abraham obeyed God, he was called the friend of God. Obedience to God results in rich blessing.