Journal Entry ~ 06/05/19

17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." - Genesis 22:17-18

In this passage of Genesis, Abraham believed God, so He blessed His life. But he didn’t just believe in God, Abraham’s belief ran deep, to His very core. His wasn't just a surface level belief...you know, the one where you don't swear, lie or steal because you want to be a good Christian. No, Abraham’s belief in God is a very part of his being. 

God spoke these words to Abraham shortly after Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son because God called him to do it. I wonder, does our faith run that deep? Are we willing to lay our deepest longings and desires on the altar and surrender them to Jesus?  Abraham offered up his son, that which was dearest to his heart, in complete surrender to God. He trusted in God’s plan, even though it made no sense to him at all. 

Don’t be mistaken - God isn’t just prompting us to sacrifice our child in this passage. He doesn’t want us to lay our children on an altar. This isn't just about our offspring, this is about anything that we hold dear to our hearts. Perhaps it's your children, but perhaps it's your aloneness - if you are single, are you willing to put your aloneness up on the altar and offer that in surrender, allowing God to be in control of bringing you what you need? Or do you to take matters into your own hands?  True surrender of our aloneness means we accept that we may be alone for the rest of our lives and allow God to choose the plan.  Perhaps our deepest desire is financial security, our family, our health or our bodies, our career, our home, our comfort and security, our reputation and respect, our fears, our anxieties, our despair....Are you willing to put your deepest desire on the altar and allow God to determine the outcome?  

If you are, then you have surrendered. And when you surrender, He promises bless you abundantly. If not, then your heart is still tied to an idol and you withhold those blessings. 

Sadly, my heart is still clings to what I hold most dear, but I'm working on it every day. I want to let it go...and some days, I think I’m free of those chains.  But far too many days, I still pick it back up. I’m so thankful that I love a God who keeps sticking with me, working to gently pry my fingers from the tight grasp of my idols so that He can hold them gently in His. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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