Day 8, or January the 8th. Just be patient and
have faith. Our thought today is rooted in Genesis
chapter 22, verse 8. Abraham answered, God himself
will provide the lamb for the burnt offering,
my son. And the two of them went on together.
First, the big picture surrounding this verse.
At last the wonderful day arrives. Sarah gives
birth to a baby boy, when Abraham is 100 years
old. Now that's better than a telegram from the
queen. They decide to call him Isaac, which is
rooted in the Hebrew word that means laughter,
a tangible reminder that they both laugh when
they are told they will have a baby of their
own. Sadly, this results in Hagar and her son
Ishmael being rejected. God then tells Abraham
to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. After all these
years of waiting, surely this can't be true.
Nevertheless, he faithfully obeys and makes his
way to the land of Moriah, which is probably
the area dominated by the Temple Mount in Jerusalem
today. God comes through for Abraham as he miraculously
provides an alternative sacrifice. Sarah dies
at the ripe old age of 127 years, and she is
buried in a cave specially purchased in Hebron.
When the time comes for Isaac to be married,
his father Abraham insists that a wife be found
from their relatives living in Nahor, which is
also known as Haran. Abraham's servant, who is
sent to find a suitable wife for Isaac, finds
Rebekah, who is a close relative, and also willing
to travel back with him to marry Isaac, with
the full support of her family. And now our action
step for today. Even though Abraham is heading
for Moriah to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, he
knows God will take care of everything. He even
tells Isaac that God will provide what they need.
Sometimes we worry when we can see no solution
to our problems, but God always has everything
in hand. Whatever is causing you anxiety today,
try to remember that we have a heavenly Father
who can be trusted, and who is totally in control,
and that includes you and your difficulties.