Faith and Obedience

SCRIPTURE

Genesis 22:1-12 (selected)

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" …Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." 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…. 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. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

Hebrews 11:17-19

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED." He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead...

Matthew 16:25

"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.


PRAYER
[Pray this for yourself]

Lord, I admit the agony of obeying you when it means giving up the gifts most precious to me. The pain of release is unspeakable. And yet, I do it. I release my hold. I choose obedience because of faith. But Lord, I hear the flesh of my heart tearing as roots of self are being extracted. I truly feel that I am loosing my life for the sake of obedience to you. And then I remember the faith of Abraham, who trusted you so much that he believed you could give him the promise even if you had to raise Isaac from the dead. Lord, please give me a faith like that. As I sacrifice, give me faith, help me to believe that you can and will keep your promise to give me the desires of my heart. Lord, I affirm the truth in my head, that I will only ever find my life by loosing it for your sake. Now please apply that faith to my heart as well. Help me Lord. Help me. Amen


ENCOURAGEMENT

Loose your life for his sake. Obey him. Trust him. And you WILL find your life.

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Dave's Life Coaching
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