What choice do I have

What choice do I have – A believers perspective

Genesis 22:1-18

God spoke to Abraham and gave him a command to sacrifice his son. This was the son of promise from God. Abraham was faithful and followed the command. He gathered wood for the sacrifice, took a couple of servants and his son Isaac and headed off to worship God. Isaac must have understood enough about worship to know a lamb was needed for the sacrifice. He asked where the lamb was, and Abraham responded that God would provide. Once there, Abraham built an altar and bound his son. As he was about to slay his son, God stopped him. God saw his faithfulness. He then provided a ram stuck in a thicket. Because of his faith and obedience, every nation is blessed. It is through this lineage that the Savior will be born.

Is perspective a choice?

What is pain management? A process that alleviates or reduces the amount of pain one experiences. Pain has a wide range. It could be from mild to moderate pain. Or some might say their pain is excruciating to agonizing. Even perceiving pain has a wide range of avenues in our lives. We can experience mental anguish, physical ailments, or even emotional scars. The question is, how do we deal with our pain. Do we turn to the wrong coping mechanisms? Do these mechanisms then turn into compulsions? And finally, we have full-fledged addictions? Please don’t hear what I’m not saying. If you have something going on mentally, physically, or emotionally seek help. I am saying that we often attempt to dull our senses, so we don’t have to deal with the pain of what is happening around us.

If we are in a situation and we see a path of least resistance, how often do we take that path? In this passage of scripture, Abraham was given a path. Being a father, I don’t think this path is the path of least resistance. But I see it was a path of obedience. A path that was managing pain. When God instructed Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, I can only imagine his pondered thoughts. Isaac was a promise from God, and now he would be sacrificed as a burnt offering. Will God raise Isaac back from the dead? How is this going to bring about the promise of many descendants? Why must I give up my son? Why me, why this?

His faithfulness is a choice

What Abraham was thinking did not stop his faithful obedience to God.  He displayed something I struggle with within my life. Having the proper perspective. To Abraham, the pain of offering his son as a burnt offering was less than the pain of not following God’s commands. Ouch! So, in studying my bible, I see where God has given commands and instructions for a way of life that is pleasing to Him. And if I choose to ignore or be blinded to the truth of these commands and instructions, my pain management is about me. “God, I don’t want to face the truth of who You are. So, I’m going to try and fill my life with XYZ.” It’s easier for me this way.

In reality, I have a choice of sacrificing what I put between God and me. God: You know when you eat all that food. Including all those desserts. You are trying to find peace and hope in something I created instead of turning to Me. When you’re having a bad day, you want to eat cookies or cake and wash it down with a big glass of milk. Turn to me instead. Tell me about your day. Please tell me where you’re struggling. I can handle it; I will comfort you. You will get through it with my strength, and I will turn your pain into something beautiful. Just look at My Son, Jesus!

How are you managing your pain? Are you making the choice of turning inward with your pain? Trying to find the next thing that will dull your pain. Abraham embraced it. He was going to follow through, and God said I will handle your pain because you held nothing back. I will provide a sacrifice so that you don’t have to.

Prayer

Father, change my perspective on life. I want to turn to the creator instead of the created when dealing with the pains of life. Teach me to see in every moment that the pain of not knowing you, following you, or believing you is far greater than anything else. Amen.

Perspective

What’s the code for decision-making in my life?

Genesis 12

When God spoke to Abram, He gave Abram instructions or a code. God’s code was for Abram to Go from here to there, and I will tell you when to stop. In my strength, you will become great, and through you will come a blessing for everyone. I will protect and react accordingly by blessing or cursing those who bless or curse you. Abram packed his things and went. After setting up camp, a famine came over the land. Abram began decision-making out of fear instead of faith. He went down to Egypt for fear of dying from starvation. He lied about his relationship with his wife for fear of death from people. Because of that lie, Pharaoh took Sarai as a wife and paid Abram generously for her. This was outside of God’s plan, so He let Pharaoh know that Sarai was Abram’s wife. Pharaoh confronted Abram and gave Sarai back to him. He then sent Abram and Sarai on their way.

Abram failed

We can sit here and pick apart how Abram failed. And he did fail. But Abram made decisions based on fear instead of faith. He left the land God had given him; he self-protected from the people in Egypt. This ultimately led to his wife as a sacrifice so that he could live. But what is the root cause of his fear and failure? Did he think, “God can’t meet my needs; I have to meet my own needs.” I must find my own food, making sure I live to fulfill God’s promise. Did he question the power of God to handle the situation? Abram, who God changed his name later to Abraham, is known for his faith throughout the bible. So, what happened here at the beginning?

Abram is the father of the Jewish nation. This is where it all began. Could it be because he lived 75 years one way, and suddenly because God speaks to him, he is trying to live another way? What was his faith like in the beginning? What was our faith like at the beginning of our spiritual walk? He had bad days; they are recorded in the bible. He made a bad decision, and fear was at the very core of the decisions in this passage. How many bad decisions have I made from fear? Looking back or even looking forward, how many bad days could I count. As a believer, I am to put my faith in God. It seems that some days that is easier than others.

What about me?

So, what does this story of Abram’s life show me? God’s sovereignty, grace, and mercy. God had a plan for Abram; through his family line, he would share the gospel with the world. Next, even on our worst days, God’s grace is enough for us so that He can use us to bring His message of hope to the world. Through God’s mercy, He saves us repeatedly so that we will have the opportunity to share His message of hope. A few chapters later, we see Abram as Abraham with faithful decision-making on full display.

I challenge you to examine your spiritual walk with Christ. Are you making all your decision based on fear? How are you trusting God to fulfill your needs? Are you progressing in your decision-making from fear-based to faith-based? I know there are areas of my life where I struggle with making decisions based on my faith in God. But what I am learning is that when I fail in those areas, Jesus is right there with me—helping me up, helping to keep going, and allowing me to share His message of hope.

Relationship or Perfection

My life is not about attaining perfection. It’s about a pursuit of a relationship with my Savior, God, and King. There is freedom in that. I have the freedom to fail in life because Jesus is there with grace and mercy. I have the freedom to succeed in life because Jesus is there to receive honor and glory. We must change our perspective on wins and losses, failing and succeeding. I must keep going, striving for that finish line where Jesus is waiting and wanting to say, “Well done!”. Are you in the race? Some people that claim to be Christ follows are stuck on the sidelines. They are stuck in fear, afraid to fail and not meet the “standard” of God. News flash, we are never going to meet the standard. That is why God came to us in the flesh. So that we could have a relationship with Him that was cut off when sin entered the world.

Abram failed. More than once. Just in this chapter. Take a step. Move and decide based on faith in a good, holy, and perfect God. Who wants the best for you. Who wants you to be free from sin.  To be free to pursue a relationship with Him. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to serve someone else because of fear. You would not be reading this devotional if it wasn’t for taking that next step of faith. What’s your next step?

Prayer

Father, as a believer, we have the freedom to fail. We also are free to succeed. Either way, you love us just the same. You want us to check our hearts and lean into a relationship with you. I believe you like us to be more relational than legal because, in our relationship, we will learn to want to follow your word. Give us that desire; open that area of our hearts that hinders us from knowing you. Expose it to the light so it can be moved, and we take that next step closer to you. Amen

Credit – Kristen Weidner