The Mountain Morning

I'm always stunned and left wondering at the obedience of Abraham. It's so easy to read of the account involving his taking Isaac to the mountain to sacrifice him. But think about the trust factor he had with God. The one line that always smacks me in the face is, "So early in the morning Abraham got up...". I marvel at his obedience. No sleeping in late; no taking some time to fast and pray; no discussing the issue with Sarah and/or elders in the community. He got up, got ready, and left for the mountain.

I wonder where the church would be today if we all exhibited that kind of obedience? I wonder what miracles we would see, what marriages would look like, what wayward kids would be home, what finances would be in order, what prisons would be empty, what churches would be full.

I wonder where I would be. I wonder. Grant me the determination to be as obedient as Abraham, Lord.

Obedience and Faithfulness

Reading today about our obedience and God's faithfulness. An account is found in 2 Kings 8:1-6 about a woman whom God told to uproot and leave her home to avoid famine. When she returns she not only gets her land back, but also all the monies made from her land while she was gone. A few things spoke to me in this passage:

1. She obeyed immediately and without seeing the famine first. How many of us obey without delay versus wait to "see" if we heard God correctly.

2. Her obedience initially caused her sacrifice. She must have known that abandoning her land would mean someone else claiming it. Sometimes our obedience will require sacrifice - making the decision even tougher.

3. God really does have everything under control. What are the odds that the moment she returns and visits the king, he is being told of her story and her healed son? We must believe God can orchestrate all things to come together for good for His children.

4. Restitution - Not only did the woman get back everything she lost, but even the profits for the last seven years! (Notice, a govt. official was ordered to see she got all she deserved!)

As I read the scriptures I am always reminded of the faithfulness of the Lord. I've never seen His children abandoned, never seen them forgotten. What an encouragement that God knew and cared for this poor woman, and He cares for each of us as well.