What are Your Sticks?

Abraham lays the wood that will become the sacrificial fire - on his son's back. Isaac carries the root of his demise, and the root of his obedience, and the root of his faith, on his back.

And - we will pause again.

Scripture would insinuate that there is an awakening in Isaac - as he asks his father (LSV): We have the wood, the fire and the knife - but where is the offering?"

Abraham must have had to swallow hard when he replied" The Lord will provide", as Isaac carried the wood for the fire that would consume him. And Abraham held the torch of obedience that would ignite that fire.

I think we all carry the wood for our fire, that He would have consume us.

There is something that we have, something that we want, pieces of the world and pieces of self that we carry on our backs. I believe our sticks and wood could be labeled "self".

* Our giftings- that we so easily use to exalt OURSELVES.

* Our woundings that we hold onto and wont release into Him, woundings that say our past and our problems are bigger than an All Powerful God.

* Our Future that we want to control and navigate- rather than give to Him and His purposes.

I see Isaac walking up the mountain- holding the vestiges of SELF, ready to let it burn in Jehovah Jireh' all consuming fire. If we can give Him EVERYTHING - we get to incorporate more of His presence in our lives and in our hearts. But, in absolute submission and obedience, we have to lay our past and our future on the altar of burnt sacrifice and let His fire consume it.

Then, , you have a God who's name is Jehovah Jireh - a God who promises to provide. He will provide you with a clean past, forgiven, pure and white as snow - AND a future planted on a rock and filled with His Spirit. It is not easy to die to self, but the rewards will be well worth it.

What are the names of the sticks that you are carrying on YOUR back? Isaac's sticks came from the world...they were dried pieces of dead wood. "Green" wood doesn't burn. The things that He calls us to offer up to Him - are those things thatcan be replaced with fruit and His providence. Pray that He would reveal what your sticks are!