The word for this week is: “Provide”.
The thought for this week is: Ours is the God who provides.
Have you ever had to bear the pain of separation in your life? Perhaps it was the first time you left a child with the sitter, or dropped them off for the first time for Kindergarten or even leaving them at college to be on their own. Perhaps you have been separated from a spouse due to work or even illness. Was your separation permanent or temporary. Who or what helped you through that time? Is there someone in your life that would be extremely difficult to lose?
In Genesis 22:1-14, God had promised Abraham that he would have more descendants than the stars of the sky. And, even though Abraham’s wife Sarah was barren and they both were getting on in years, God gave them a son, Isaac, as a demonstration of power. In these verses, we see God now asking Abraham to sacrifice his son. And, once again, God shows himself to be a God able to rescue even when all hope is lost.
Looking back through this account, what does Abraham’s response reveal about his relationship with God? Are there areas in your own life where you think that God is testing your faith? If so, how are you responding to the test? For whose benefit, does God wait until the last moment to stop Abraham? Could it have been ours?
Finally, we note that God provided a ram as the substitute for Isaac, so Abraham named the place “The Lord Will Provide”. God did not ask Abraham to do anything that God himself was not willing to do. God willingly sacrificed his own Son. Think about how Jesus was like the ram as our substitute on the cross. Now, how does knowing God as the GOD WHO PROVIDES encourage you in your present life circumstances.
Pray through the following Scripture and strive to memorize Genesis 22:14, “So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we thank you for providing everything we need. We trust you to continue to provide all we need. We thank you for sacrificing your Son for our sins. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
By Rory Barneche