January 8, 2016
"When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound His son Isaac and place him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son." (Genesis 22: 9-10)
God was not looking for Abraham to kill his son. God was looking for Abraham and Isaac to identify themselves with Jesus. The very mountain that God spoke to Abraham about (22:2) was Mount Moriah which is in Jerusalem. Mount Moriah would become a very significant location. It would be the place where the temple of God would eventually be built, in the same city where Jesus would be taken to trial, condemned to death, crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascend back to Heaven. No, God was not looking for the death of the son through whom the Promise of Christ would be given; He was looking for the sacrificed lives of father and son to the ways and will of their God.
I am called to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12: 1). That does not mean that God wants me physically dead. He has already determined that day for me, but until then He wants me not only alive, but sold out, sacrificed, surrendered to His will for me. Just as God already had a sacrifice in mind for Abraham's altar, the ram in the thicket, God has already given me His desired sacrifice, Jesus His own Son, who died in "Moriah". God was looking to see if Abraham would withhold part of his life from God. God tested Abraham with his most prized possession, his son of the promise and covenant. Abraham did not withhold him from God. Neither should there be anything or anyone that I would hold back from God. This is the way that pleases God, that I would be utterly surrendered, in every area of my life. This is being a LIVING SACRIFICE. This is how I identify with the death of Jesus. It is a spiritual death, not a physical death.
I am no longer useful on earth when I am dead. I can only be useful to God on earth if I am alive and surrendered to Him. Isaac lived beyond his Mount Moriah experience. So did Abraham. They lived to fulfill the plans of God. I, too, must live beyond my point of salvation, a life dedicated to fulfilling God's specific plans for me.
PRAYER
To You, O Lord, I surrender myself today. Use my surrender to further Your glory! O, how I desire to be useful to You today! As I contemplate my identification with Your death, let me live to die to everything that is not of You. Holy Spirit, help me see CLEARLY what is death to me today. Show me what you want put on the altar and sacrificed for Your glory.
"When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound His son Isaac and place him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son." (Genesis 22: 9-10)
God was not looking for Abraham to kill his son. God was looking for Abraham and Isaac to identify themselves with Jesus. The very mountain that God spoke to Abraham about (22:2) was Mount Moriah which is in Jerusalem. Mount Moriah would become a very significant location. It would be the place where the temple of God would eventually be built, in the same city where Jesus would be taken to trial, condemned to death, crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascend back to Heaven. No, God was not looking for the death of the son through whom the Promise of Christ would be given; He was looking for the sacrificed lives of father and son to the ways and will of their God.
I am called to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12: 1). That does not mean that God wants me physically dead. He has already determined that day for me, but until then He wants me not only alive, but sold out, sacrificed, surrendered to His will for me. Just as God already had a sacrifice in mind for Abraham's altar, the ram in the thicket, God has already given me His desired sacrifice, Jesus His own Son, who died in "Moriah". God was looking to see if Abraham would withhold part of his life from God. God tested Abraham with his most prized possession, his son of the promise and covenant. Abraham did not withhold him from God. Neither should there be anything or anyone that I would hold back from God. This is the way that pleases God, that I would be utterly surrendered, in every area of my life. This is being a LIVING SACRIFICE. This is how I identify with the death of Jesus. It is a spiritual death, not a physical death.
I am no longer useful on earth when I am dead. I can only be useful to God on earth if I am alive and surrendered to Him. Isaac lived beyond his Mount Moriah experience. So did Abraham. They lived to fulfill the plans of God. I, too, must live beyond my point of salvation, a life dedicated to fulfilling God's specific plans for me.
PRAYER
To You, O Lord, I surrender myself today. Use my surrender to further Your glory! O, how I desire to be useful to You today! As I contemplate my identification with Your death, let me live to die to everything that is not of You. Holy Spirit, help me see CLEARLY what is death to me today. Show me what you want put on the altar and sacrificed for Your glory.
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