Would You Give Up Something If God Asked You To?

Would You Give Up Something If God Asked You To?

This passage from Genesis that most might have read came to mind this morning after reading what we did from 1 John.

Genesis 22:1-14 NASB "Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “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 got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

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. And Abraham reached out with his hand and took the knife to slaughter 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 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.” 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. 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.”

When we read this we see that which Abraham prized the most, that which he loved the most, asked for by God. 

Would you do the same? Would you be willing to give up anything in your life if God would ask you for it?

I have had to think on this because of this mornings post.  I tell people of the blessings this job has been since starting there.  We are moving into a really nice house.  In this move we have been forced to decide on what to keep and what to let go of.  But what if God would ask for more?  What if?

It's always possible. 

What if He asked you to give up your career? What if it were your possessions?

What if it were someone in your family? Would you trust God enough to go through with it as Abraham did?

It's more of a sobering food for thought than it is an exercise in your motives. 

Love not the world nor the things of this world is what God's Word says.  Do you love things or places or people in this world more than you do God?

Your response is between you and God. 

You very well could be fighting conviction from the Spirit to let go of things you don't consider to be idols but God does. 

You could be loving your job more than you should and it's become an idol. 

You are supposed to be listening to the Spirit of God...are you? Do you?

His Sheep hear His voice. If you are of God are you listening to Him?

Take a step back and take a very serious look at the things that consume your life. If your life isn't pointing people to Jesus then what in this world are you doing?  

The Bible has many references to a hardened heart. A heart that has grown cold, grown insensitive to the Spirit of God.  A heart that no longer strives to live in obedience. A heart that is more concerned about what the world thinks than what God thinks. 

If you disregard the Scriptures, if they no longer hold meaning to you, you have a hardened heart. 

If prayer is something you no longer do, you have a hardened heart. 

If there's no difference between you and an unbeliever, you have a hardened heart. 

If you refuse to go and do as the Bible tells you to...well you get the gist.

If God tells you that He needs you to give up something or someone in to Him, would you do it?  Would you be like those who gave excuses to Jesus or would you obey as Abraham did?  Would you be an Isaiah and declare "Here am I! Send me!"

Food for thought...to some...a bitter pill to swallow.