Isaac

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Genesis 26:2 Don’t Go To Egypt

The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live.” Genesis 26:2

During difficult times people will attempt to find someplace easier to go to get away from their difficulties. Sometimes it is physically moving to a new place to live, but often it is moving to a new job, new friends or some other change, rather than facing the difficulties.

It can look easier and greener in another location causing the desire to move. While sometimes it may be greener, other times it is jumping out of the pan into the fire.

During a major famine in the land, Isaac gets ready to move to a new area. God tells him to not go to Egypt, but to stay in the land where God puts him, and that God would bless him there.

Walking the path in life that God places a person does not always look like the best path from the human viewpoint. Fleeing hard times is the first thing that most people want to do. They want to be in control of their life and do not want hard struggles.

Seeing a different path will often look easier, but one cannot see all that God sees on that path. God has each person on a path in life for a purpose and while on that path, He will provide for all that is needed.

The best spot that a person can be in is the location that God has told him to be, regardless if that is home, job, church, or any other place. God can provide better than anyone or anything in this world will ever provide. Despite the famine, God can bless richly when He is trusted and obeyed.

Famines will arise in your life, whether famine of food or of provision or something else. Rather than running to Egypt or the world to meet your needs, seek God’s direction.

Work to ensure that you are living in the place God has called you to live. Only move when God says to move. God can and will provide more abundantly than anyone or anything on this earth can provide.

Going to Egypt may ensnare you in the enemy’s trap of greed and selfishness and pull you away from God. Do not go to Egypt but live where God has placed you.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will obey God’s commands to you; that you will trust God’s provision in your life; that you will run to God, not Egypt for your needs; and that God will strengthen you in your walk with Him.

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Genesis 24:8 Never Go Back

“If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.” Genesis 24:8

Once a person leaves an area, he has many good memories of that former place. Often people desire to go back to that place, despite it probably has changed and is no longer the same.

Others often go back, even if there were bad memories, because it is the place they were familiar with. New places often scare people. This can occur with physical and non-physical places in the lives of people.

Abraham sent his servant back to his homeland to get a wife for Isaac but told him that if he cannot get a wife, he is to never bring his son back there.

Going back to a place that a person is familiar with is often desired and easy. In new places it is filled with new struggles and the unknown. Many will have forgotten about the struggles and problems of the old place remembering only the good.

Living in the world as the world does often appears easy. Often it appears that there is no enemy against oneself, and one can do whatever he desires.

As a believer, one has the world fighting against him trying to destroy him. It is a walk of faith with God, not always being able to see what is next. Because of all the battles a believer must go through, some will choose to go back to the old homeland, back into the sins of the past.

True believers will never go back. They will hold on to God and continue to walk in faith the path He has set before them whether they understand it or not, can see the path or not. the sinful path is no longer an option to live in.

You know where and what God has taken you out of. There are sins in your past that Jesus has forgiven you of and brought you into a new life of holiness and righteousness.

The enemy of your soul is out to stop you and discourage you. Do not give into the enemy and go back to your old life. Resist the devil and temptation and they will flee you.

God has brought you into a new land that will last for eternity. The old land is only death.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will see the new land God is bringing you into; that you will walk by faith the path God has you on; that God will strengthen you to resist going back into sin; and that you see the blessings of the new land God has you in.

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Genesis 22:12 What Will You Give Up For God?

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Genesis 22:12

People treasure their possessions, whether physical things or other people. Many are known to hoard their things, refusing to ever part with them, having a house stuffed with things they have accumulated over the years.

Some will hold these things because of memories. Others hold on to them because of the hard work to get them and their often monetary value.

God had asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, whom he waited for ninety years to get. As Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, God stopped him saying that He now knew that Abraham feared Him and would not withhold anything back from Him.

It is easy for people to claim to believe in and follow God. Those are just mere words with no real action. It is an altogether different thing to make that same claim and follow up with sacrifice something dear to the heart.

There are many things that people hold onto that are not necessarily bad or sinful, but just things or even people. However, many will place those things or other people above God. Some will allow God to do anything He wants as long as He does not touch certain things. These things become idols in the life of a believer.

If God is to be Lord, Master, Savior, King of one’s life, then He must be all of those things in every area of one’s life. Everything must take second place to God and His will knowing that God will provide above and beyond all that is asked and needed.

God may give back the item sacrificed, or He may give something better, but either way He will provide.

Over the years of your life, you have accumulated things and friendships and relationships. Ask yourself how important these things are when compared up to holding onto and obeying God.

It is easy to get caught up in those things and put God to the side, but do not allow yourself to do so. Let God be your highest and greatest possession in your life. All these things will pass away at some point, but God never will.

Give God everything you have and trust Him to provide all that you need.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will see God’s hand of provision in your life; that you will allow God to have all that you possess; that you will put God first above all others and things in your life; and that you will trust God to provide all that you need.

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Abraham: Doing Crazy Faith

Bavaria landscape

The LORD had said to Abram, “God from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, who you love–Isaac–and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Genesis 22:2

As we continue to look at what faith is, we must look at Abraham. He is considered the father of faith.

When he comes on to the scene, it shows God coming to him and telling him to leave his land, father and inheritance to go somewhere God would lead him to. Abraham (at this point Abram), listened and obeyed God. He stepped out in faith to follow God’s leading.

Abraham had been raised up in the land of the Chaldeans in Ur. His father was probably and worshipper of a false god or some idol, not a follower of God. He had lived there most of his life. At the age of seventy-five years old, God appears to him and tells him to move away to an unknown area.

Elderly man

Think about this for a moment. There was no internet in those days. Abraham was not able to look up information on where to get housing. He was not able to call ahead and find a new job to transfer to. The new area was probably an area that speaks a different language.

Along with this move, he is leaving his father behind. He was no longer carrying on his father’s occupation or caring for his land. He was, in a sense, turning his back on his family, walking away from them.

Not only was this a new location to move to, but Abraham was not young anymore. He was seventy-five years old. Keep in mind this was after the flood and God had said that man’s days would be limited to about 120 years on this earth. Abraham was well over that half way point.

This was like a mid-life crisis. He had to change homes, countries, jobs, and family after being settled for many years. Yet, he stepped out in faith, trusting God’s word to him. God promised him land and families, though Abraham did not know how this would happen yet, nor the problems that would come about before it was fulfilled.

Boy stepping out

 

First point–Step out in faith.

God has a different path for each and every believer. Some things may be somewhat similar, but they are still different roads. One thing that God wants from everybody is for them to trust Him. That is what faith is.

Although radically changes are not an every day thing, they do occur within the life of a believer, or anyone else. As you walk with God, there will be times God will have you pack up and move out to something new, something you cannot see or really dream of.

Sometimes this can be a physical move from one place to another. Other times it can be a change in lifestyle, giving up something or changing your friends. It could also be a change of careers or work. Whatever the change is, it can be difficult, but it is what God wants you to do.

Usually these types of changes do not always make sense to the normal mind. It appears to be an insane change or a step towards suicide. Yet, God always makes a path towards a greater life.

Since Abraham had obeyed God, he was blessed with a nation from his family line. He was given land. Ultimately, Jesus brought salvation to the world through his lineage. All because of a step of radical faith.

When God calls you to do something, it is for a purpose. It is to make you better, make you His witness and to build His kingdom. So step out in faith to do what He is calling you to do. Trust that He knows what is best for you in this fallen world.

The other thing that Abraham had to face was when God asked him to sacrifice his son. This was the long promised desired son and only son that Abraham was called to sacrifice on an altar. It sounded like an insane thing to do. Why would God call him to sacrifice his promised son? What good could ever come from that? Isn’t God a God of life? Didn’t He command that no one is to kill anyone? Isn’t this going against what He had commanded?

God was not looking for the sacrifice at all. He really does not care about sacrifices. God is looking for obedience. To obey is better than sacrifice, yet God called for a sacrifice.

When God asked him to sacrifice his son, Abraham immediately obeyed. The bible does not say he questioned God or had to pray about it for days/weeks to make a decision to whether he heard God or not. He knew that he had heard God and so he immediately obeyed Him.

Since Abraham had obeyed without any question, God provided an alternative to sacrificing his son. He provided a ram to be sacrificed instead of his son. God knew then that Abraham would obey no matter what God asked of him.

Abraham and Isaac

 

Point two–Obey immediately in faith. 

There are times that God still asks people to do something extremely radical and crazy. Some of those things will even appear to go against what God has previously said to do or not to do. You must know that it is God who is speaking and guiding you.

In order to know it is God speaking, you must be in constant communication with Him. You must know His voice and what He has to say. You must know His character. In order to know these things, you have to stay immersed in the Bible and in prayer.

Every time you open and read some of the Bible, you are finding out something about God. You are learning who He is, how He is and what He does. As you spend time in prayer, communicating with Him, you are learning to hear His voice. Once you know His voice, you will know when He speaks or when it is something false.

As soon as God speaks something, you must step out an act upon it. This is obedience. Obeying God immediately every time. It is not questioning God or doubting self, it is trusting God–faith. It is knowing God and knowing you can trust him.

I doubt that God will call you to physically sacrifice your son, since Jesus became the sacrifice for all. However, He will call you to sacrifice other things in your life that it is not needed. He will also put a test in front of you to see if you will fully obey Him or not. This can be found in sacrificing something that is not bad, but is dear to your heart–your treasured possession.

It is at this point that faith steps in. It is trusting God and having faith in Him that what He is asking you to do is in the best interests of you, others and His kingdom for His glory and honor.

Faith will obey immediately without questioning. It will not to try and find an excuse not to do something, but will find a way to do it.

No Fear

As I close out this talk on faith, using Abraham as an example, learn from Abraham. Learn what it means to step out in faith immediately. Learn what it means to obey immediately in faith. God will not let you down, but will carry you through whatever is ahead of you in this life and the life to come.

Do not fear, but live and act in His love for you. God is there for you and will not forsake you or steer you wrong. Be full of faith as you step out and obey God in every area of your life.

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Genesis 26:25 Build An Altar

church in the sun

Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well. Genesis 26:25

As people go through life, there are times that they go through some major event in their life that they want to remember. Often they take pictures or videos to remember the event. Some will write it down in journals to help them remember what had happened in the future.

Some of these major events may be positive events such as a trip, a marriage, a birthday, or a promotion. Other times these events may be something on the negative or sad side such as a death, a major move not desired, job loss, sickness or more.

Isaac had a major event in his life. He had been traveling along and chose to stop in Beersheba. As he had stopped there for the night, God met with him and told him that he would be blessed and his family would be increased greatly and that He would be with him.

Immediately Isaac built an altar to God. This was to help him remember what God told him and to keep his focus upon God.

An altar was a place where people could go and meet with God. It was the place to seek forgiveness for sins, or give thanks to God for blessings. It was a place that people could get close to God.

Since Jesus came, the physical altar is no longer needed, yet, an altar is still needed. Every believer needs to remember what God has done in his life. He also needs to stay focused upon God at all times. Building an altar in the heart, helps one to focus on God and a place to seek forgiveness and give Him praise. The altar in the heart can go with the believer no matter where he travels.

Take time in your life to build an altar to God. Have a place in your heart where it will keep you close to God and focused on Him and His desires for your life. This will also help you remember all that God has done for you and what He will do in the future.

At this altar, you can remember all the things God has promised you. You can remember the forgiveness He has blessed you with.

Do you have altar to God today?

I pray today that you will know what God has promised you; that you will have an altar to God in your heart; that you will seek God with all of your heart; and that you will focus your life on God.