Total Sacrifice

If you remember - we left Abraham listening on God..saying "Here I am".

Let's eavesdrop on their conversation and see what the Lord would like Abraham to do:

LSV Version: Take your son -you remember - THE ONE YOU LOVE- and go to the region of Moriah; and offer him, as a burnt offering, on ONE OF THE mountains - of which the Lord would reveal.

(I would have started sweating about here....)

Abraham doesn't miss a beat - He "rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two young men with him and his son Issac"

On an aside...he also took the wood for the burnt offering..

Two important things to know about a BURNT OFFERING:

1-It had to be freely given, not coerced or manipulated...freely given to the Lord...Abraham got up that morning - freely ready to do what the Lord asked.

2-It was a total sacrifice. It had to be burnt- in its entirety before the Lord. Total Sacrifice - Isaac would be a TOTAL sacrifice of Abraham's heart.

Timeline check in - they walk three days. Strapped and straddled with the wood for His son's total sacrifice. Three days walking....equals (to me) three days thinking time. Three days to be alone with my thoughts and my fears. Three days to build a revolving door in my "Fix-it Room", so I could get in there faster. THREE DAYS...as long as Christ left us....THREE DAYS- with each step closer to the uncertainty of God's plan.

It doesn't say that the Lord spoke to Abraham for these three days...but, I know me, I would have been pounding on the doors of heaven - trying to understand. But, God appears to be silent...for three days. Sometimes, we grow the most in the silence. A tree has a dormant stage. A tree has a season of fruit and blossom- but, it also has a winter. Where it appears to be dead- but its roots are growing stronger and deeper. In silence, I believe we grow stronger - so that we can offer mighty fruit for the kingdom- when God unleashes us again.

With each step, Abraham confronted his fear and combated his fear. Each step was a step of victory, a step that he denied self and won over fear.

Has God ever asked you to do something crazy? I hope so.

Are you walking now- sense that the Lord has asked you to do something - but you are paralyzed by fear...fear of the unknown, fear of giving up too much of yourself, fear of the journey, fear of letting go, fear of it not playing out the way you wanted?

Abraham did what came naturally - he just started walking it out. One step at a time...one step of obedience at a time. God may not have spoken during those three days - but Abraham;s heart, faith and belief in a mighty Lord - that would provide- spoke volumes as he walked through his own wilderness. I believe God smiled with each step that Abraham took towards TOTAL SACRIFICE of himself.

You may not know all of your answers- you may not know how it is going to play out. Today - why not try to walk like Abraham did:

1- Give yourself freely to Him..the situation, the problem, the calling, the dream, the relationship....give it freely to Him.

2- Let it be a TOTAL SACRIFICE. That means you have to let go of the outcome and trust in God's provision and sovereignty. You don't know how it is going to turn out. But - you know that we serve Jehovah-Jireh - a God that provides.

And then...start walking. One step at a time you will make it through your wilderness, One step at a time God will lead you through the wilderness to your own mountain. Here's the thing: Moriah is a mountainous region. How did Abraham know WHICH mountain was his? How did he know which one to pick?

Because we serve a God that is not a God of confusion, or chaos...God led Him EXACTLY where He needed him...God led Abraham to his own mountain. A place where he could die to self. Where he could give it ALL up for the Lord. His own mountain,. his own Calvary. His own TOTAL SACRIFICE.

But - Abraham had to get there one step at a time. Start walking it out today. You dont know the outcome....how exciting!!! You get to fall into the arms of God and have him hold you and guide you. His arms are a safe place...Trust in Jehovah Jireh - He will provide everything you need to get you to your mountain, and over your mountain.