Father Abraham
“By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son.”
Hebrews 11:17 (NIV)
As we move into a time where we celebrate Fathers, let’s look at some biblical dads and how they can teach us something today. First up is Father Abraham, who had many sons… or did he? When reading through scripture, we see God promise Abraham to make him the father of a mighty nation, and according to Genesis 15:5 (NIV), “He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring[d] be.” This is a wild promise of God given to Abraham in his old age and without any kids. The amazing thing about this situation is that Abraham believed God.
Flash forward just a bit, and Isaac, the promised son, had arrived. Not through human intervention but with a miracle so only God could receive the glory. It is hard to imagine the emotional connection of waiting your entire life to receive a gift like this. Some of us may be able to relate to waiting years or decades for God to give us a miracle. Some of us are still waiting. Whether you have your miracle or are still waiting, we can learn a valuable lesson from Abraham’s test: faith and commitment to God.
It wasn’t long after Abraham received the promised, miraculous gift of his child that God tested him and asked him to sacrifice Isaac. All throughout the Bible, we see tests of our protagonists. David is tested with Goliath, Daniel is tested with lions, and Jesus is tested in the desert. Similarly, we are tested in our lives, and just like the heroes of scripture, these tests aren’t meant to break us or punish us. Rather, these are opportunities for us to demonstrate our faith and commitment to God.
Abraham trusted God so much that he got up EARLY this next morning to obey! What trust and dedication from Abraham. He trusted God so much that he was willing to sacrifice his most treasured possession: His son Isaac, who God had promised he would raise up a mighty nation through. We see in Hebrews 11:19 (NIV), “Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.”
Do we have faith like that? Whatever miracles that God has blessed you with, are they greater than God Himself?
It’s Abraham’s belief that gets him honored by God and a special mention in the book of Hebrews, not the miracle he received. His commitment is not to the promise, but the promiser. Many times, we are so bent on receiving our miracle or promise that we overlook The Lord who has provided it. When we receive these blessings, let’s not abandon The God who gave them to us, but rather renew our connection and heart toward Him.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.