While reading the Bible this morning I saw something that encouraged me… and challenged me deeply! I have to share with you!

The story I was reading was the one where God told Abraham to take his son, Isaac, up to to top of a mountain… and sacrifice him to God there. If you’re unsure what that means, let me assure you that Abraham wasn’t! Look at this:

⁹ When they arrived at the place where God had told Abraham to go, he built an altar and placed the wood on it. Then he tied Isaac up and laid him on the altar over the wood.  ¹⁰ And Abraham took the knife and lifted it up to kill his son as a sacrifice to the LORD. (Genesis 22:9-10 NLT)

Now we could have a huge conversation about why God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, but that’s for another time. The point here is that God told Abraham to sacrifice his son and he was fully committed to doing it. Here’s what happened:

Abraham took the knife and lifted it up to kill his son as a sacrifice to the LORD.  ¹¹ At that moment the angel of the LORD shouted to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” he answered. “I’m listening.”  ¹² “Lay down the knife,” the angel said. “Do not hurt the boy in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld even your beloved son from me.”  ¹³ Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering on the altar in place of his son. (Genesis 22:10-13 NLT)

WHEW! I can’t imagine Abraham’s relief (not to mention the relief Isaac must have felt)! After the ram had been substituted and sacrificed Abraham, “named the place “The LORD Will Provide” (Genesis 22:14 NLT).

And then there’s this little historical note: Abraham named the place “The LORD Will Provide.” This name has now become a proverb: “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” (Genesis 22:14 NLT)

As I read this story something occurred to me,and I wrote it in my journal:

“The truth is that God will provide once our obedience is complete and our resources are empty.” and then I wrote myself a personal note, “Don’t forget this!”

See, often we want God to provide BEFORE we completely obey and while we still have some resources left… just in case. God doesn’t roll like that! His modus operandi is to require full commitment… total faith… wide open trust!

If this story of Abraham and Isaac teaches us anything it is that God will provide once our obedience is complete and our resources are empty.

So here’s the question… what are you waiting for? What is God urging you to do that may sound scary, unreasonable, to big for you? What’s holding you back? Remember this… God isn’t going to operate in your safety zone, He’ll wait to show up when your obedience is complete and your resources are empty!

So go ahead! Take that step! Go for it!