A prayer inspired by Abraham’s faith
Written by: Chelsey Dematteis, Read by: Lia Girard
Bible reading: “And Abraham lifted his eyes, and looked behind him, and behold, there was Ram, who was caught in the bush at his horns; and Abraham went and took the Ram, and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.” – Genesis 22:13
Read or listen to the following:
When you think about Abraham’s life, does the story about him stand out the most to you? For me, it’s when he called obediently to take Isaac to the top of the mountain and sacrifice him. I am primarily drawn to it by his unwavering faith in God’s outcome. When I play the same question as being asked, it convicts me. If I were honest, I would probably have been disobedient, and therefore I would have missed seeing the way God provided the rum.
Obedience is part of our faith that requires complete trust in the Lord. We can see everything through the Bible and see the way God provided to those who followed him. But that was never easy. It renewed their faith. Once they reached the other side, they refreshed their tired minds. But it always costs their comfort. Although good in theory, comfort can create stagnant faith and make your life less dependent on God. Obedience calls us out of comfort and to the place where God creates something new within us.
Read Genesis 22:9-13:
“When they came to where God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, set up his work, tied his son Isaac to his daughter, and placed it on the forest on the altar. Then Abraham had taken the knife to slaughter his son. And he said, “Here we are,” he said, “Leave your hand on the boy, and do nothing to him. For now, in fear of God, you see that you have not withhold your son, one son from me.” And Abraham raised his eyes, looked behind him, and was caught in the bush at his horns, offering it as a burnt offering in place of the ram. ”
When Abraham unravels all the events that occur when he reaches the point where he was about to take the life of his son, they all reveal an unwavering commitment to faith in God. He had to get up early first, gather supplies, then make a trip to the mountains. He then had to prepare a place where unimaginable questions would be asked. He tied up his son, put him on the altar, and… Heaven adorned the earth. The angel of the Lord spoke, “…for now, I know you fear God.” Abraham’s obedience made it clear from beginning to end that he would do something out of love for God the Father.
This brings me to questions I believe will shape your faith and my faith forever. No matter what, are we willing to walk in obedience to God? Have we imposed contingencies and regulations on how far we go? Have we adorned our hearts with the idea of trusting God when questions seem to be too expensive? Or are you a follower of Jesus who is open and walked with a heart willing to go where we are called?
Stepping into faith, walking with confidence and bold obedience leads us to experiences with God that form faith, breaks chains, and changes life. Obedience to God leads us to a deeper relationship with Him. This new place in our relationship with God is worth the cost of comfort knowing that we know that greater joy with Christ is ahead.
Let’s pray:
Father, thank you for the gift of your words. It helps me when I leave with faith to follow where you call me. Please trust you as I put aside my love for comfort. Remove the complacency of my life and make me bold for you. Father, raise me. Make me like you. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Photo credit: ©istock/getty images plus/sedmak
Chelsea is the voice of my life, who lives a life of Christ in a world that is hardly podcasts and devoted to him for 52 weeks, who lives a life of Christ in a world that is centered around me. She writes Lifeway Women’s Journey Magazine, Crosswalk.com, and Devotions for Ibelieve.com. She also writes a Bible Reading Plan for the Youversion Bible app. Chelsea lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. You can connect with her on Instagram @chelseydematteis and her website chelseydematteis.com.
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