Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
September 8, 2023
Genesis 22:1-19
1 After these events, God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” Abraham answered, “I’m here.” 2 God said, “Take your son, your only son whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him up as an entirely burned offering there on one of the mountains that I will show you.” 3 Abraham got up early in the morning, harnessed his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, together with his son Isaac. He split the wood for the entirely burned offering, set out, and went to the place God had described to him. 4 On the third day, Abraham looked up and saw the place at a distance. 5 Abraham said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will walk up there, worship, and then come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the entirely burned offering and laid it on his son Isaac. He took the fire and the knife in his hand, and the two of them walked on together. 7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father?” Abraham said, “I’m here, my son.” Isaac said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the entirely burned offering?” 8 Abraham said, “The lamb for the entirely burned offering? God will see to it, my son.” The two of them walked on together. 9 They arrived at the place God had described to him. Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He tied up his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 But the LORD’s messenger called out to Abraham from heaven, “Abraham? Abraham?” Abraham said, “I’m here.” 12 The messenger said, “Don’t stretch out your hand against the young man and don’t do anything to him. I now know that you revere God and didn’t hold back your son, your only son, from me.” 13 Abraham looked up and saw a single ram caught by its horns in the dense underbrush. Abraham went over, took the ram, and offered it as an entirely burned offering instead of his son. 14 Abraham named that place “the LORD sees.” That is the reason people today say, “On this mountain, the LORD is seen.” 15 The LORD’s messenger called out to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I give my word as the LORD that because you did this and didn’t hold back your son, your only son, 17 I will bless you richly and I will give you countless descendants, as many as the stars in the sky and as the grains of sand on the seashore. They will conquer their enemies’ cities. 18 All the nations of the earth will be blessed because of your descendants because you obeyed me.” 19 After Abraham returned to the young men, they got up and went to Beer-sheba, where Abraham lived.
Good Morning. Today will provide unexpected blessings.
Before I begin this morning, I would like to ask for a quick prayer. I am having an outpatient Mohs Surgery procedure on a basal cell lesion that my dermatologist found last month. I trust that God will guide the hand of my surgeon and that all will go as planned.
Today’s passage is a story of great faith and trust. God called Abraham to do an unthinkable thing. This past winter, I watched the movie, His Only Son, which told this story on the big screen. It was not a fancy blockbuster production, but in its simplicity, the director was able to engage the audience in this epic story. As I watched Abraham and Isaac make the trek to the mountain, I struggled with Abraham as he took each step forward. How could he do such a thing as he was asked?
The faith and trust that Abraham showed was unimaginable to me. Whenever I read this, I must ask myself, could I do that? Through this, I realize that my faith journey is far from over, as I need to continue working on trusting God and God’s plan for my life. The second thing that I remember is that God made this very sacrifice of his own son to save me and all of us from our sinful ways. No greater love can be found!
Loving God, We love you! You love us, your creation, in ways we can not understand. Even when we sin and turn away from you, you patiently wait for us to return. Help us give this same love and mercy to those we meet. Thank you! In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: I can trust God to meet my needs in unexpected ways.
God loves us! Pastor Liz
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