The Lord Will Provide | Body Builders, Pt. 7
You can never give to God more than God is going to give to you. - Pastor Charlie Dates
Genesis 22:9-14 NASB
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham reached out with his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not reach out your hand against the boy, and do not do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
God will meet you in the place of your sacrifice and prove that your love for him cannot outmatch his provision for you. When you give to God that which you love and you have, God will prove to you that his provision is even greater.
Real love and commitment comes with commitment and confirmation that a person will do above and beyond to prove their devotion.
Abraham’s Test of Faith
This text is about Abraham who God promised would have a child at 75. Because of his age, he doesn’t think he can have a child so his wife suggests he try having one with someone else. So they do…
But God lets them know that He wanted the child to come through Abraham’s wife.
At 100 years old, Abraham has a son with his wife, Sarah.
Out of seemingly nowhere, at the beginning of chapter 22, it says “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham.”
Whenever God gives you something you really want, you have to remember that God will want to know if you love Him more than you love it.
The writer is telling us upfront that this was a test. But Abraham didn’t get that announcement.
God wasn’t really after Isaac. God was after Abraham.
God isn’t after you or stuff. He’s after you.
God knows once He has you, He can trust you with more stuff.
God entrusted Abraham with a preview of what God would feel when He gave His Son. Abraham got to feel what it’s like to be God.
Never prize the gift more than the Giver. Never prize the creature more than the Creator. Never prize the blessing more than the Blesser... because when you have the Blesser, the Creator, the Giver, you can always get more stuff.
True Worship Involves Sacrifice
In verse 5, Abraham told his servants that he and his son were going to worship.
He didn’t say they were going to make a sacrifice.
He classifies his sacrifice as worship. Worship isn’t just raising our hands or what comes from our mouths...
Sometimes worship is taking what you’ve been holding tightly to and sacrificing it to God.
But you can never give to God more than God is going to give to you.
Abraham says the boy and I are going to worship and we will be back down.
Hebrews 11 tells us that Abraham thought that God was so faithful that even if he killed Isaac, God could raise Isaac from the dead.
GOD CANNOT LIE.
He will guard his promise to you.
While Abraham is confirming his faith. God is ensuring His promise.
Because as Abraham and Isaac were going up the mountain one way, the ram was coming up the other way.
At the moment Abraham was trusting God, God was sending help on the other side.
You never know what God is sending up the other side when you choose to obey Him.
Abraham gives God a new name...Jehovah Jireh.
Because the Lord will provide.
Reflection Questions:
What is something you’ve been holding tightly to that God may be asking you to surrender as an act of worship?
In what ways can you demonstrate that you value the Giver more than the gifts He has provided?