Abraham, Friend of God. Part 1: Abraham’s Faith Confirmed

I felt a urgency in my spirit to share the following word with you. It is something God has been talking to me about the last couple of weeks and I feel it is also such a word “in season” for most of us. Read at own risk though ;)…this might just be a word for you too and if this is the case, I pray that it wont leave you unchanged!

In Genesis 22 we read the story of God telling Abraham “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Okey….so let’s do a reality check:

• Isaac was Abraham’s promise from God. Gen.17:19 “…Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.”
• Isaac was Abraham’s son “whom he loved” !!
• Abraham was already 100 years old when he had Isaac…

Is it just me or is this a TALL ORDER! Especially if you already feel like you have one foot in the grave and God promised that He will “make you a father of many nations.” You might feel like asking God some serious questions!!! Not even to mention that the life of your beloved son is at stake here.

But not Abraham… Gen.22:3 said that Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey and off they went!! As a theologian rightly commented on this verse: “The prompt obedience grounded in faith characterised this patriarch throughout his life.”

So the reason for me writing about this? Well, recently as I was reading this story again, I felt God highlight the following part to me: “Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’”.

The repitition of the name indicates urgency. Why would God feel the need to URGENTLY stop Abraham from what he was about to do? The Bible sais that God looks at the heart of man (I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind….Jer.17:10, Prov.16:2, Ps.44:21, 1 Sam.16:7)

God saw Abrahams heart and He saw that Abraham was about to follow through with His command, no questions asked. Abraham never said “but God…”. Clearly, the one most important thing, Person in Abraham’s life was GOD. Not his promise from God which he has been waiting for for so long, not his son whom he loved, not the people and what they would think if he performed this command, not his heart broken wife, not his age and that time is ticking by, no nothing. Just God. Full stop. If God said, then so it shall be. I love this!!!

Maybe in your journey with God, you have been standing fervently on promises He has given you, calling them in and praying for them. This is good. We need to persevere and hold God to His Word. But just maybe you might have become so carried away that you have forgotten about the God of these promises. I used to have this prayer I prayed to Him (it is very personal to me but I feel He releases me to share this with you) in which I would say: “I love You God, not for what You have done, are doing or still going to do. I love You just for Who you are.” I am embarrassed to admit that recently God had to remind me of this prayer, and I realised how long ago this was my hearts cry. NOTHING AND NOBODY SHOULD BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN GOD TO YOU. Test yourself…What do you consider most important in your life and are these things/people possibly more important than God to you? Would you be able to sacrifice them if God asked you to?

Today God may be saying this to you too: “I know your works, your labour, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have laboured for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Rev.2:2-4

If this touches your heart and sounds familiar, then repent and make an effort to get back to your First Love again! He is the MOST important Person in your life. There is none like Him! Many times when we are busy worshipping God just for Who He is, He is busy fulfilling His promises to us. But you see, the focus is not the promises and a happy life. The focus is God, Intimacy with the King. I feel on my heart to tell you as you are reading right now: You have NO IDEA how much God loves you. You were made for Him. You flourish in His Presence. Your promises and prayers get answered and fulfilled in His Presence. Like a chicken on her eggs 😉 . If the eggs move away from the heat and presence of the hen, she cannot brood on them and they will not hatch. But the focus is God! Not the promises. May God restore your First Love, may He come knock you off your feet. And then…

“By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Gen.22:16-18