"By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son." Hebrews 11:17

Perhaps Abraham is one of the best examples in the Scriptures of someone who loved and worshipped the Lord for who He was rather than for the blessings he provided.

God had made a promise to Abraham that he would have a son and that from his seed would come a great nation. Abraham had waited for years for Isaac. And then, God asked Abraham to do something that sounded contradictory to the promise, to take the son that he loved and offer him as a sacrifice. How could this be?

What an interesting father-son trip this turned out to be. Along with two servants, they journeyed to the foot of Mount Moriah. There Abraham took the bundle of wood off the donkey and gave it to Isaac to carry. He told the other two to remain there, he and his son went up the mountain to worship.

Abraham firmly believed that God intended for Isaac to be his heir. And so, he was sure that the two of them would go up the mountain and return. If God allowed him to take Isaac's life, then He would raise him again. Look at Genesis 22:5 - "And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you."

Isaac questioned his father: "Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering." Genesis 22:7-8

Even though Isaac was a young man and probably much stronger than his aging father, he willingly let Abraham bind him and lay him upon the altar he had helped build. And as Abraham raised his knife, God spoke: "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." Verse 12

God revealed the lamb in the thicket. Isaac was removed from the altar. Father and son worshipped together and then went back down the mountain.

Thought For Today: When we put God first in our lives, we can safely trust Him with our children. He has a plan and a purpose for each one.

Devotion by: Anne Johnston