“So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’” — Genesis 22:14
>> Sign up here for Sports Spectrum devotionals sent right to your email inbox <<
I love the story of Abraham and Isaac told in Genesis 22. As a parent, especially, I think it becomes personal when you consider what was being asked of Abraham. Isaac was his long-awaited son, born to him much later in life. Can you imagine Abraham’s walk with him up Mount Moriah knowing he was being told to sacrifice that son? Can you imagine what it felt like to reach a point and see “the place”? His heart must have broken at what was being asked of him.
Sometimes in life, God has to take us to a place — one where we don’t want to be, one that would never be of our own choosing, maybe even one that breaks our heart, but one that God can use ultimately for His glory. I personally have been fighting this battle on a place where God has to have me go. Our truest form of worship can often be trusting and praising God even in the storms and uncertainty of certain times in our life.
Do people see our peace and hope, or our struggle and worry? Like Abraham, sometimes our trials are our tests to prepare us for something greater. As I have lived life, I see more and more that our battles shape who we are. There are still blessings in the midst of those battles, and without the battles we may not see the victories.
Abraham showed the ultimate trust and surrender to God by being willing to do what was asked, even if it didn’t make sense. Are we willing to completely trust and surrender to our Lord in times where our situation seems to make no sense or have no purpose? Do we remember that He is Lord of lords and King of kings and sees things in a way we can never comprehend? He sees our tomorrows today.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Will you trust and surrender to him, especially in those storms and trials? Will you surrender to His will and not your own?
In those hard times, we must remember He is good, He is with us, and He for us. My life verse, claimed for me by my parents when I was a baby, is Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” He will never leave us and ultimately has a plan for our good, even in those hard places.
— Randy Graham
>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him <<
>> Dive more into God’s Word with Sports Spectrum through the YouVersion Bible App <<
If you would like to submit a devotional, please email all submissions to
devotionals@sportsspectrum.com
