Abraham
What would your wife say if you told her that God wanted you to pack up everything you could carry, leave your house, community, job, and everything familiar to you, and hit the road?
No hotels or rentals…you’d be living in tents.
Where are you going? Not sure. Wherever God leads. Also, God says He will make you into a great nation even though you don’t have any kids and you're really old.
How’s it going to happen? Not sure, but God says it will.
Think she’d go for it? Better question, would you?
When we first meet Abraham in Genesis 12, that’s exactly what he was doing.
Hebrews 11 puts it this way:
“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise.” (Hebrews 11:8-9, NLT)
This alone should prove that Abraham was a ride or die man of God.
But his obedience in this area was just the beginning.
The next test would come when God asked Abraham to do something no man would ever want to do.
Fast forward to Genesis 17, and we see God command Abraham that every male in his household be circumcised as a sign of their covenant. (All God's men cringe in horror.)
Still, Abraham went home and immediately obeyed.
Yet, even this would not be Abraham's biggest test.
That would come years later after Abraham and Sarah were given their promised child. After years of waiting, Isaac is born. They had several years to enjoy him, parent him, and love him when God asked Abraham if he would be willing to sacrifice Isaac to Him.
Now obviously, God never intended for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. It’s against His nature. But Abraham didn’t know that. After years of waiting for a son and then years spent living with Isaac, this was Abraham's ultimate “will you ride or die with Me” question.
Amazingly, once again, Abraham said “yes.” Having passed the test, God provided a ram to take Isaac’s place.
When it comes to giving up everything to follow God, Abraham was a rock star. He stands as an example for all of us for what it means to be a ride-or-die man is God. We follow his example when we say, "Whenever, wherever, whatever God asks, the answer will always be 'yes.'"
By: Jamie Holden, Mantour Ministries
Today’s Scripture: By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. (Hebrews 11:17-19, NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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