Abraham

In Genesis 22, we find one of the toughest stories in the Bible. God tells Abraham to take Isaac — the son he waited 25 years for, the son he loves — and offer him as a sacrifice. It’s a moment that feels impossible to navigate and even difficult for us to talk about because of the cultural differences between then and now.

But there will come certain moments in your life, like Abraham, when God will say, “Let go.”

In Hebrews 11, it says, "When Abraham was tested," and in the original Greek, it means Abraham’s faith was tested, not just once, but with every step of faith he took. When the Lord told him to go to a mountain and sacrifice his son, he didn't know that God would provide a ram in the bush.

When your faith is being tested by a medical diagnosis, by a dry season, or by a delayed dream, there’s something God’s already taught you that He wants you to call to mind. So, this moment in your life is about asking God, "What have you already taught me that you’re calling me to trust in?"

Just because you don't feel ready for this moment doesn't mean you're not prepared for it. This moment with Isaac wasn’t the first time God had tested Abraham. In Hebrews 11:17-19, there’s a little reminder about something that happened 40 years earlier in Abraham's life that prepared him for this moment.

It says, "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." No details, no Waze, no Google Maps. But he went and obeyed, even though he didn't know.

Getting closer to God doesn’t necessarily mean we understand more of where He's taking us. That's why we get confused when we’re in seasons that we didn't see coming, because we think the depth of our faith in God will bring clarity about the details of where He's leading. But trust is a funny thing, because the deeper the level of trust, the less the need for details. A lot of times, we get trapped in all the details we don't know, and then we don't take the steps God’s called us to take.

Embracing the promise doesn't mean you always understand the plan. God had told Abraham he’d have a son, and Abraham embraced the promise. For 25 years, he had to believe something he couldn't see. There will be seasons of your life where you’ll have to hold on to something God spoke. When everything you see and everything you feel is telling you a different story, you'll point back to something God said and say, "I still believe it."

Here’s what you need to do: Hold on to the promise, but let go of the plan. It’s not your deadline. It’s God’s. And remember this — just because you’re surprised by it doesn’t mean you don’t have the supply for it. God sent a ram in the bush for Abraham. He’s got you, too.