When Obedience Is Hard

Loch Coruisk, Isle of Skye, Scotland.
Photo by K B on Unsplash

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
Genesis 22:3 (NASB)

When you love someone you will do anything they ask; such is the case in relationships amongst young couples and even in old couples where he flame of love still burns strong. I have no problem admitting I love my wife and would do anything for her, to help her or make her happy. But sometimes our loved ones or those we respect will ask us for something which is difficult, something we would prefer not to do. Sometimes that loved one asking something of us that is difficult is God our Father.

I remember one incident years ago being asked to share the gospel with a particular nurse in my hospital ward, who had been quite cold towards me. I was happy to share with anyone but her, but a nurse allocation was changed and I found myself face to face with the nurse I was avoiding. I recognised His correction and shared the “Good News” with her, and it was eagerly received. There was no decision made but the gospel seeds were sown that day, I pray they sprouted eventually.

In todays verse we see the unflinching obedience of Abraham after being asked to sacrifice his only son as a burnt offering to God. Abraham did not say “no!” or try to bargain with God, he just obeyed. He made all the necessary preparations without stalling to do as God asked, one can barely imagine the anguish that must have been in Abraham. This was not blind obedience, but faith in God to be Righeous. In Genesis 22:5,8 we see that Abraham believes that God will produce a sacrifice miraculously in place of Isaac his son. Abraham believed God his Father and Isaac believed Abraham his father. As we know God did indeed provide a ram stuck in a bush to be sacrificed in place of Isaac – now that is Divine Faithfulness.

Dear reader, is God guiding you into difficult territory, to do something you would rather not do? To rebel against His will is fruitless, Almighty God gets His way in the end as he did with me in my earlier story. I wasn’t given a Godly slap on the wrist, but was blessed to see the fruit of eventual obedience – the gospel gladly received. Trust and obey Him brethren!

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• Running The Good Race30th May 2023
• To Know God’s Comfort29th May 2023
• Kindness & Forgiveness28th May 2023

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