Abraham’s Choice

Jane’s eyes beamed as she pulled her father by the hand when she saw the pink teddy bear. “Daddy, that’s the one I want,” she said as she pointed. “That one right there. Daddy, please knock down the bottles and win it for me. Please, Daddy, please!”

“I will try, Jane.”

“I know you can do it, Daddy. You can do anything.”

Ten dollars later, Jane squealed with delight as all the bottles fell, and her father presented her with the soft pink teddy bear. Smiling and twirling with her new treasure, Jane was elated.

“Jane, may I have your teddy bear?”

Staring at her bear tears filled her eyes as she slowly handed it to him. Jane’s father pulled a bigger bear from under his jacket. She jumped and screamed with joy as she hugged the bear.

Obedience to God is not always easy, especially if the reward is unknown and the sacrifice is great. As we walk with Christ, even when it does not make sense, obedience to God is a strong foundation for you to have.

Imagine someone inviting you and your family for an adventure to an unknown destination. Would you go? Abraham’s journey in obedience begins with a similar invitation. God spoke to him:

Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you (Genesis 12:1, NIV).

Without questioning God, Abraham obeyed His instructions, left the comfort of his homeland, and eventually received great rewards.

At some point, God invites us to unknown destinations that require us to trust Him even when it does not make sense. Will we go? Will we obey as Abraham did in Genesis chapter 22 and receive a greater reward?

Abraham’s decisions with both Ishmael and Isaac are blueprints showing us the consequences and rewards of our choices. We can choose to work situations out and “help” God, or we can wait on Him to fulfill His promise in His way and in His timing. With Ishmael, Abraham disobeyed God and reaped the consequences. With Isaac, he obeyed God and received His reward.

God tests us to see if we trust and fear Him. What He asks us to sacrifice does not compare to His rewards if we obey. When Abraham willingly bound Isaac and raised the knife to kill him, the angel confirmed his fear of God (Genesis 22:12). This one act of obedience fulfilled the promise of Abraham becoming the father of many nations through Isaac. Like Abraham, one act of our obedience can produce a significant reward that outweighs what we are asked to sacrifice.

What has God instructed you to give up since giving your life to Jesus? Are you willing to let go to receive the higher reward? For Abraham, his obedience had an eternal blessing on his family (Genesis 22:17) and ours. God declares to Abraham:

And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:3, NASB)

Our obedience to God can qualify us, and those connected with us, to receive great blessings. I encourage you, my brother and sister, to settle in your heart that you will obey God no matter what, trusting that what He has for you is greater than what you are asked to sacrifice – even if sometimes it doesn’t make sense.