Prepare to Complete the Task
Read Genesis 22:8-9: “Abraham said, ‘God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.’ So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.”
In our last devotional, we read how important it is for us to trust in God’s provision. However, it does not end there. Abraham had faith that God would provide, as we saw in our last passage in Hebrews and here in Genesis. Even though he had faith that God would provide, Abraham knew it was not the end of the process; he still had to prepare to complete the task that God had commanded him. He did not reach the offering spot and sit and wait for God to send a sacrifice. Abraham went forward with building an altar for a burnt offering, and then he even laid his son on top of that altar. Abraham knew that trust was not enough. Sometimes, we have to put in the effort to prepare for God to do something incredible. In this story, Abraham fully trusted that if needed, God could raise Isaac from the dead, so Abraham prepared to complete the task and allowed God to move.
In our lives, having faith in God’s ability to take care of us is not the end of the process. We have to prepare to do whatever task He has given us and trust Him to move in the midst of it. I heard it said once that two farmers trusted God to water their fields, but only one farmer went out and plowed his field and prepared for the rain to come. Which one of those two farmers do you think trusted God? Our reliance and trust in God is shown in our willingness and preparation to complete the task.
What does it mean when someone says, “Actions speak louder than words”?
If you say something, but your actions are completely different, what does that demonstrate?
Is trust in God enough? Can we just relax and wait on God to provide us everything we could ever need?
Why do you think God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son? What was God testing in Abraham?
What are some ways that you can prepare yourself to trust in God when He asks you to?
Family Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, help us to trust You in everything. Help us to trust You so much that our actions reflect our faith in Your provision. Help us to boldly prepare to complete the task when You ask us to trust You. Thank You God for the ways that You provide for us and use us to be a part of Your Kingdom. Thank You for using our hardships to bring glory to You. In the name of Your Son, Jesus, Amen.