Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Self-control”
Our Bible verse for today: “After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he answered. ‘Take your son,’ He said, ‘your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.’ So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for the burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about.” Genesis 22:1-3 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Self-control is demonstrated in obedience.”
Obeying God when it’s easy is nice but not overly impressive. Obeying God when it’s hard is meaningful and this is where self-control comes in. You have to make yourself do it.
Abraham had waited more than half a lifetime to be blessed with a son. Now he had one. Isaac was clearly a miraculous gift from God, born in a season of life when it was physically impossible for Sarah to bear children. Abraham loved the boy, cherished him. But in Genesis Chapter 22 we read of how God instructed Abraham to take his cherished son to Mount Moriah, place him on the stone altar, and kill him as a living sacrifice.
From a human perspective that was insane. What father would do such a thing? What kind of a God would require it? And yet, the command from God was clear. So without hesitation Abraham prepared to do what God was requiring of him, but it must have been with a deep sense of dread and with a grieving heart, not to mention confusion. But Abraham trusted God and therefore proceeded to do the thing he knew God was requiring of him.
We have to wonder why God would require Abraham to do this, but we already know the answer, it’s stated for us in verse one – God was testing him. This was a test of Abraham’s faith. Remember, Abraham loved Isaac. He cherished that boy. Was it possible that his son had become more important to him than his God? Probably not, but let’s see. Let’s see how he handles the test.
As the story unfolds we find Abraham proceeding to follow through with his act of obedience, but we also read that he fully trusted God for the outcome. In verse 5 he told the servants that were with them, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we will come back to you.” He said, “We” will come back to you.” And in verse 8 he told Isaac, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”
And that is what happened. Read the story for yourself. God tested Abraham’s faith, and stretched it – a lot! But then God intervened and preserved that which was so special and cherished by Abraham.
On the action side of the self-control coin we find obedience to God. Often obedience isn’t easy and it isn’t the thing that you want to do. But God will often require of us things we would not choose for ourselves. During those times we have to do what Abraham did in this scene. We have to stay focused on what we know to be true about God. We remember that He is good, and He is merciful, and He loves us deeply, and that He has our best interest in mind. Then we trust Him and we obey Him.
Self-control must be demonstrated in obedience. You can trust God for the outcome.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 