WHERE IS YOUR HOPE

“Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Genesis 22:1-2

This is one of the most compelling events in scripture: God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Why would God ask Abraham to do that when human sacrifice is condemned throughout the Bible? God had a very good reason. Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for Isaac, the child of promise, to be born. Now, 10 or 15 years later, Abraham begins to look at Isaac and say, “Here is my future. Everything depends on this boy.” God put Abraham through the toughest test in his life to teach him that his future didn’t depend on Isaac, but on the God who made the promise and gave him Isaac.

Over time, Abraham’s love for Isaac began to crowd out his love for God. Isaac became a rival for Abraham’s affection. God will not have any rivals. Abraham then had a choice: hold on to Isaac no matter what or be willing to let go and obey God by sacrificing his son. Abraham chose to obey God, even though he didn’t understand what God was doing. He chose to act in faith and trust God to work things out. God intervened and saved Isaac, and Abraham learned his lesson that God had to come first. God then poured out greater blessings than ever before on Abraham for his obedience.

Is there anything in your life that is crowding God out to compete for your affection? A relationship? A job? A habit? A hobby? The internet? We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and we can’t do that if something else has captured our hearts.

What happens if we choose to let go of this rival for our hearts and seek God? The best blessing of all: God gives us more of Himself. Seeking God first never leaves us with less. It always draws us closer to God, and He fills our lives with more of Himself. So let go of whatever is competing with God for your affections, and you will discover a deeper, more satisfying Christian life.

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