Obedience.
“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’ Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey…” (Genesis 22:2-3)
The song Obedience by Lindy Cofer & Circuit Rider Music says “I will love You with my ‘yes’ and with my obedience.” Love for God is reflected in our obedience. Not that we could be obedient once and it makes us perfect forever, but that each individual act of obedience would be the sum total of our love for God. In this passage, Abraham does not express his love for God in a verbal “I love you,” nor is it equated with a shout or dance in church. Instead, his declaration of love is embedded in his immediate obedience to God’s instruction. While he had only just received this child from God after 25 years of waiting, his response to God is shocking: he asks no questions and simply obeys. Do you love God more than the blessing? Do you trust God enough to obey without question? I know I struggle here! It’s one thing to love God enough to wait for the blessing and sing songs like “I don’t mind waiting on you, Lord”. It’s another thing entirely to finally touch your blessing and be willing to surrender it completely at any moment. Even as Abraham described this major moment of sacrifice to his servants, he called it worship (Genesis 22:5). Think about that. When we sacrifice our will, our desires, and our valued possessions to God, that is our worship. That is how we tell God how much he’s worth to us. That’s how we tell Him that we love him more: we are willing to give it up if He asks. The crazy part about this story is that we know God is against the murder of the innocent, especially child sacrifice. What He was asking of Abraham literally made no sense. Nevertheless, Abraham trusted God despite what logic said.
What about you? What is God asking you to do in obedience without question? Maybe it’s giving up something you know has been taking up time and focus from Him. Maybe it’s giving up the bitterness and unforgiveness you feel entitled to. Maybe it’s not giving up something but it’s trusting Him in a new season. Whatever it is, remember your obedience translates your love. Your disobedience translates……
Prayer:
Lord, help me! Like the disciples, increase my faith! Help me to know you, trust you, and love you above all else. I want to love you more than anything, but at times my own understanding of what makes sense gets in the way. I know that without faith it is impossible to please you. Please help me to obey you fully and immediately. I love you more…
