Chaplain George Youstra walks through the example of Abraham and Isaac and God’s provision of the ram. Youstra gives examples from his own life of how God provided for him and how God also used him to be the “ram in the thicket” for others. He asks the students if they are willing to meet the needs of others and share the gospel with them.

Scripture Texts

Genesis 22:1-13; Romans 12:1

Main Points or Ideas

God's Provision - The Ram in the Thicket

• Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac but told his servants "we will come back"—demonstrating faith that God would provide
• When Abraham raised the knife, God stopped him and provided a ram caught in the thicket as a substitute sacrifice
• The ram represents God's provision for Abraham's family and the continuation of God's promises
• Personal testimony: After helping Ellen Jordan (a widow identifying her husband's body in San Antonio), God spoke about provision—if He could bring a chaplain from Tampa and a widow from Oklahoma together at the right moment, He could provide for the speaker's family after military retirement
• That encounter became the confirmation needed to retire from the Air Force, trusting God's provision

Being a Shofar - Sharing God's Message

• The ram's horn (shofar) was used throughout Scripture for significant purposes: giving the Mosaic Law, battle of Jericho, Gideon's victory, calling to war, anointing kings, setting feasts, praising God, calling to repentance, declaring God's glory
• As rams in the thicket, believers are called to be shofars—trumpets blowing God's message
• Questions to consider: Who are you supposed to share the gospel with? Who needs to hear a warning about godless eternity? Who among your classmates is struggling or living on the edge?
• Every speaking opportunity should include the gospel because you never know how the Holy Spirit is working in someone's life
• Challenge: Present your bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), willing to be God's mouthpiece

Meeting Physical Needs - Using Every Part

• Every part of the ram was used: skin for tents, clothes, and shoes; fur for warmth; meat for food; fat for lamp oil
• Just as the ram provided comprehensively, believers should meet various needs in their communities
• Examples of provision: helping clothe others, feeding the hungry, visiting hospice patients, meeting financial needs of struggling classmates, encouraging those with sick family members
• Personal testimony: After betrayal, wife's broken arm, father's death (June), and mother's death (September) in 2025, Christians from around the country became rams in the thicket for the Youstra family through financial support when parents' promised retirement support disappeared
• Challenge: Get your eyes off yourself and pour yourself into other people—this is one of the most important things you will ever do

Conclusion

Like the ram in the thicket had no choice but to be sacrificed for Abraham's need, those who wear the uniform or serve in ministry have no choice but to sacrifice for others. The call is to become a generation of rams in the thicket, providing for the special needs of a lost and dying world through sharing the gospel and meeting physical needs in the community.