Friday, February 24, 2012

Friday, February 24th

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Numbers 3-4.
Today's scripture focus is Hebrews 11:17-19.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring[a] will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

MacArthur sums up Abraham's faith (and ours!) this way...
The pilgrimage of faith - separated from the world. The pa­tience of faith - waiting for God to work. The power of faith - doing the impossible. The positivism of faith - focusing on God's eternal promise and believing that it's guaranteed gilt-­edged. The proof of faith - obedience, self-sacri­fice. That's the pattern of faith.

The proof of faith is obedience and self-sacrifice.  That is what today's passage is about.  Abraham's faith was so strong, his faith in God and in His unconditional promise was so strong that he believed God would raise Isaac from the dead and so he was willing to sacrifice is son in obedience.

Do you and I have obedience like that?  Self-sacrifice like that?  Faith like that?

One thing that is neat is one of the ways God rewarded Abraham for his faith - He identified Himself as Abraham's God. The patriarchs honoured God and so God was not ashamed to be known as their God.  "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...."   I want to live my life in faith - being separated from the world, waiting for God to work, doing the impossible, focusing on God's eternal promise and living in obedience and sacrifice - so that God would not be ashamed to say "I am the God of Tammy". Can you even imagine that?!

Tomorrow's scripture focus: Hebrews 11:20-23
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Numbers 5-6