Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Put it on the Altar

When I want something, really bad, I usually go after it with determination.  

In my life, there have been occasions, when I believed I knew best and went after those things with gusto.  

Later, I regretted my pushy, forceful ways when I got what I thought I wanted.  I wasn't happy with my behavior or the ultimate outcome.   

In Christian lingo, this is sometimes jokingly referred to as giving birth to an "Ismael." 

Ismael was Abraham's first born son.  The one Sarah schemed and plotted to push through in her own determination to see God's prophecy fulfilled.  Sarah did this instead of waiting for God's timing.  

Even when the promise one, Isaac, arrived, Abraham was challenged by God to put the one he loved on the altar and trust God.  

Genesis 22:2 says, “Take 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.”

Abraham did as God instructed.  He put his dreams and hopes for the future regarding his precious son Isaac, on the altar and turned to walk away from the one he loved.

Recently, a big decision was in front of me, and it wasn't my decision alone.   It can be difficult working with other people when you have differing ideas of how things should be.  

I presented my case, best I could.  I laid out the pros and cons thinking I had the best plan.  Couldn’t they see that God had dropped this amazing gift in our laps?  But, in the end, my choice turned out to be wrong.     

Don’t you just hate it when that happens?

Without stating these exact words, “I’m gonna just put this thing on the altar and see what God’s got to says.” 

I simply put the thing that I wanted, that I thought was best, out of my mind and walked away from it.  

I didn't even consider it a possibility--until the phone rang. 

Or in Abraham's case, an angel called his name.  Genesis 22:11-14

But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” 

And he said, “Here I am.” 

He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 

And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 

So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide.”  As it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

Are you trying desperately to push your own agenda through, determined to have your way, believing you know best?  

Is it possible God is saying, "Put it on the altar?"

If it's meant to be, God will resurrect what you willingly surrender to Him.  But only in His time and if it's best for you.








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