20
Apr '19
My Best Friend (EASTER)
20
Apr '19
When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”
“Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from Me even your son, your only son.” Genesis 22:9-12
I have had a slow conversion period over a few years where I was transformed from thinking with a high degree of faith in God to a down right belief in God. To explain the difference, faith is more that even though I am unsure, I feel it exists. Whereas belief is I know it is there. This was amazing to know because the thing was, I honestly do not remember when this happened. However suddenly during a conversation, I was presented with the scenario of Abraham and Isaac. I was asked if God were to ask me to kill a child (like Abraham was) would I do it? I answered quickly and boldly, “God would not ask me to.” I had to stop and reflect on this. The great Almighty God of wonders, the Alpha and Omega, the creator of the Universe, would not ask me to kill a child as He once asked Abraham? Where did that come from? So, I reflected on it, and this feeling of surety and confidence overcame me. I felt God’s spirit just flow within. It occurred to me how I came to this conclusion so quickly and decisively. I have a relationship with God such that I know He knows me and my heart. He knows my love for Him is unconditional, and while I at times fail, I do my best to put Him before anything. As such, I could speak as if I know Him because in reality, I do. It’s like He’s my best friend.
If we have a strong relationship with God, we will act on His behalf naturally and without hesitation. The story of Abraham and Isaac is not one I’ve written on even though I have heard it numerous times. However, the story was never about the question of would Abraham kill his son for God. It was about did Abraham have a heart for God that would follow Him. It wasn’t just a test of faith. It was to enlighten Abraham how his own faith had grown in God. Because he went through this experience, his faith was confirmed as belief in God, and thus, Abraham grew in such stature that he was revered as one of the great men in the Bible. It now made sense to me why God was often referred to as the God of Abraham. We should all aspire to grow our faith where with each test we become stronger in our belief. With each verse, we acquire greater wisdom, and through each trial, we have greater love and trust in God’s faithfulness. Thus, we no longer just have faith. We have belief that God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. We believe that Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead, and finally, we have confidence that because we accept Christ as our savior, we will one day be with Him for all eternity!
God invests an infinite amount of time in building a relationship with us. All healthy relationships require an investment in knowing the other person. Since we are not Him, we must spend time getting to know God through prayer, His word, and following His example. Jesus sacrificed His life to ensure we would have such a relationship worry free from guilt, sin, and sorrow. Our goal is to accept the opportunity and build from it living for Him. If we do, it will feel liberating. That’s the relationship Abraham had with God; one where He was free to do His will boldly and confidently. What things are holding you back in your relationship with Christ? How do you measure your relationship with Him? My prayer is that we feel close enough to God where like Abraham, He’s your best friend. Amen.
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Kent
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