Not only is a path the route that takes us from one place to another, but it also marks and records the steps, twists, and turns we take while getting from one destination to another. Genesis 22 tells of a path of obedience Abraham took in obeying God's command that tested his faith as well as were that path took him, but have you ever considered each of the steps Abraham took as he walked out that obedience, how he explained his obedience to observers, or what he internally battled as he walked out his faith? Today we take a deeper look at this and how it relates to the paths of obedience God has presented to each of us.

We can call a lot of things "worship" but is what we call worship really worship? When you look at the examples provided in the biblical text, Including Genesis 22, 2 Samuel 24, and John 3, God-approved worship has always come with a price attached.

If the world is the classroom of life, then God is our classroom teacher. Every day He calls roll and asks us to respond. Abraham shows an attentive response to God's call and the blessings that follow from his ready response.

When we say we trust, that means we are willing to let go. Abraham shows us what real trust looks like as he follows God's command to give up his most precious possession, his son.

Where is your meeting place with God? What do you do when circumstances upset your regular schedule? Learn from Abraham in Genesis 21 on how to keep a relationship with God going when your meeting place has to change.

Relationships with family, friends, and co-workers can't fill us with what we need to live well and reach the goals God has for us. Instead, these people should be recipients of the overflowing blessings that God pours into our lives. Genesis 21 reminds us of this truth as we read about the exchange between two men who put God at the center of their relationship to provide beyond what they can humanly provide for one another.

Are you feeling overwhelmed or less than adequate to fill the shoes God has asked you to occupy? Good. God never meant for you to carry out His will in your life. Genesis 21 tells of the joy Sarah experienced as God stepped into the void she could not fill and Psalm 126 and Isaiah further instruct and encourage us to live large even when we can't yet see the evidence of what God is going to do to fill the voids in our calling that we can't.

Are you looking for a place to settle, yet life continues to bring transition and change? Maybe you are facing a move, a job change, a child is graduating, you are healing from a difficult relationship, or any other situation that can make us feel very much unsettled. Genesis 21 talks about an unsettling situation that God steps into to show that no matter where we find ourselves we can be settled if we keep our focus on Him and not the disrupted circumstances we find ourselves in.

When you are in charge of keeping a lot of plates spinning and overseeing the plates of others as well, it's easy to miss a few that get dropped or broken. Genesis 21 reminds us that relationships that involve many spinning parts are complex and difficult to navigate when communication isn't constant, but that scheduled reminders can set things right if both parties are willing to see that oversights are not malicious, and can be turned around through regular check-ins.

Proverbs 10:21 tells us that "love covers all transgressions" and 1 Peter 4:8 says that "love covers a multitude of sin," but have you ever wondered just how to love others in this manner? Genesis 20 tells of an exchange that was made to change the appearance of Sarah in the eyes of her family and friends would be cleared. So too has an exchange been made for us to change our appearance, but it doesn't just stop with us but continues as we love others and as God has loved us.