January 9

Genesis 22

All throughout the story of Abraham, God had been slowly growing Abraham into a man of faith. Each step brought Abraham into a deeper understanding of God.  Abraham knew that God had promised him a son who would carry on the line of blessing and the covenant.  Through his experience he learned that anything was possible with God, that it was impossible for God to break His promise and that Issac was the one to carry on the blessing. So while Abraham didn't understand how God would provide this miracle if he in fact killed his son, His faith rested in trusting the One who made the promise. He trusted God so much, he was obedient to all of his instructions and named the sacrificial hill, when translated, "provision hill."  Reading through the Bible with Messianic eyes, we see this event as a prophecy of Jesus. Both sons were loved by their father.  Both sons offered themselves willingly, both were sacrificed on the same hill.  God provided a lamb for Abraham to sacrifice so that his son would be spared.  God provided Jesus as the lamb for us so that we would be spared from eternal death and by accepting and entering into a relationship with Jesus we are brought in line with the blessings of the covenant. Through each event of our life, God grows us as His sons and daughters into deeper and stronger faith. Through our relationship with Jesus we too can learn to know God and trust the One who made the promises, although we don't always understand.  We live by faith, not by sight, (2 Cor. 5:7).  I pray for all of us today that God meets us in each circumstance we are facing, on our hill of doubt, fear, anxiety, (name your hill),  and we lay it all down at the alter, at the foot of the cross, and trust Adonai Yireh, the God who provides.

Randi