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"By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac..."
(Hebrews 11:17)
Abraham's faith was not merely something he talked about. His faith moved him to obey.
Genesis 22 tells us that when God gave Abraham the difficult command concerning Isaac, Abraham rose early the next morning, prepared for the journey, and went where God had told him to go. He did not have all the answers. He did not know how God would fulfill His promise concerning Isaac. But he obeyed.
Along the way, Isaac asked the obvious question: "Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb." Abraham did not know exactly how God would provide, but he trusted that God would.
There is an important connection between Abraham's responses in this story. When God called, Abraham said, "Here I am." When Isaac called, Abraham again said, "Here I am." When God called from heaven just before Abraham sacrificed Isaac, Abraham once again answered, "Here I am."
When we become accustomed to saying yes to God, we become more ready to say yes when He calls us to serve others.
That is especially important in seasons of change. Our church is walking through a major transition. GHBC is leaving a location filled with decades of memories and moving forward to a new campus at Riata Way. God has given the church an assignment to monetize resources so that it can mobilize for greater Gospel advancement. Such a transition requires more than logistics. It requires obedience, faith, encouragement, prayer, and willingness to serve.
The question for each of us is simple: "How can I help?"
Perhaps your assignment is to pray. Perhaps it is to encourage someone who is struggling with a major change. Perhaps it is to invite a friend to church. Perhaps it is to serve in a practical way that no one else sees. Whatever God asks, our answer can be hineni: "Here I am."
Abraham eventually saw God's provision. A ram was caught in a thicket and became the sacrifice in Isaac's place. Abraham's obedience did not earn God's love; it demonstrated his trust in the God who had already been faithful.
John Sammis captured this principle in the familiar hymn, "Trust and Obey": we discover the joy of God's love as we surrender ourselves to Him. Obedience often requires us to move before we can see the entire picture. We want God to explain everything first. God often asks us to trust Him first.
Today, ask yourself: What has God already told me to do that I have been postponing?
Trust Him. Obey Him. Take the next step.
Prayer: Lord, teach me to trust You enough to obey You. Keep me from demanding complete understanding before I take the next step. Give me courage to say hineni— "Here I am"—and then faithfully do what You have asked. Amen.
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