Longing for a Risk-Taking Faith

Hey, y'all!

I don't usually ACTUALLY WRITE a post, even when I post a post on Sunday.

But here I sit. And I'm thinking some. Both dangerous.

One thing I'm thinking is what we talked about at my church this morning. We are going through the Bible chronologically this year, and all Bible classes are discussing what is being discussed in church. This morning was parts of Genesis (Chapters 12-22) that discuss God's covenant promise with Abraham, his obedience, Isaac's birth, and God's testing of Abraham through asking him to sacrifice Isaac (then stopping him short of actually doing it).

Two things that were said (in class) that I keep rolling through my brain about that:

1) God initiated relationship with Abram/ Abraham -- and continues to initiate relationship with us today. He seeks and desires relationship with us. Let's just camp out on that thought. The creator of the universe and all that is in it -- would like to have lunch with me, court me, walk with me, etc. But I'm too busy on Facebook, Pinterest, etc. Hmmmmmm...

2) God asks/ requires a faith of risks (slaughter the son you waited 25 years for). We rarely live a life that allows God to move in such a huge way (delivering Isaac) because we rarely walk in places where only God will deliver. We put our God into a safe box that we can make work (a real-life example was used of a class member who agreed to go on a mission trip, but didn't know where the funding would come from. Funding came in at the last minute, and then some). It was pointed out that most of us wouldn't have agreed to go on the trip until we knew for sure that we had funding in place to the penny. Of course, as someone else pointed out -- is that stewardship, or testing God, or taking risks in faith? Only you can answer any of those questions.

I'm a big talker, -- I think taking risks sounds like a super great idea in theory --  but when it comes down to it, I won't step out in faith until the Lord breaks the branch under my feet and faith is all I have to stand on.

And the Lord has shown me... time and again... that He is enough.

Longing for a deeper faith.

Pondering, pondering...

What about you? What did God speak to you at church today?

Who Will Move the Stone?

In the study "No Other Gods" by Kelly Minter, Kelly leads us to realize that our God is the God of all gods. She pointed us to what I believe to be one of the most disturbing accounts in the Bible: when God tests Abraham by callling him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. (Read the whole account here, in Genesis 22:1-19)

Abraham dutifully set out to obey God's shocking and seemingly nonsensical command. On the way, Isaac, not missing what was going on around him said, " "The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" (v. 7) Abraham sounds as if he has mighty faith when he replies: "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son."(v.8). I have frequently wondered what was going through Abraham's mind when he replied to Isaac. Did he have any idea what would happen -- that God would prevent him from killing Isaac, but a sacrificial ram would be caught in the nearby brush? Did he think that God had already provided the 'lamb' -- and Abraham was walking with him? What was he thinking? Did he really believe that God would provide?

Hebrews 11 tells us that he really did -- he just had a different train of thought than what happened:

17By 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, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. Hebrews 11:17-19

This gives me a different image in my head: Abraham knew that God had it. Abraham had no doubt as to God's power. There may have even been a part of Abraham that couldn't WAIT to see God do His thing and raise his son -- yet another reason not to bring along the Mrs.

Less than amused she would be, I might assume.

I have claimed Abraham's reply for many things lately: God will provide the lamb. God will provide.

Not too long ago, Preacher Phil pointed out Mark 16:3, as the women were on the way to the tomb of the crucified Christ. They were still going, but they wondered "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" Most of us know that they showed up and it was already done for them. The same God who allowed his son to die a brutal death to be a blood sacrifice for our thoughtless and/ or willful sins, flicked a finger to move an impossible stone. Phil asked us, "What stone do you need moved in your life?"

It made me think of a loved one who is watching her son struggle with addiction -- and pick it up again and put it down again, over and over. Who will move her stone?

Dear people have legal wranglings and money matters and broken relationships that could potentially wipe out any financial planning for retirement they have done. Who will move that stone?

What about waiting for medical results that seem only logical to be horrible?
Or 'bankruptcy' and 'foreclosure' seem the only option?
The money is gone, but not everyone is paid?
The hurt is too awful to forgive, the sin too monstrous to redeem?

Who will move those stones?

God will provide.

It sounds trite, but sometimes it's the only answer I can depend on.