Daily Devotion: Genesis 22:19

Genesis 22:19    "So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba."

 My heart has really meditated upon the feelings that filled Abraham's mind as he and Isaac walked up the mountain. He loved Isaac deeply and now he had been told to sacrifice him back to God. I can only imagine the mixture that was going through his mind. He was sad; yet, he was trusting God. He knew there had to be a sacrificial offering, but did not know how God would accomplish this thing. Would he provide a lamb? Would he raise Isaac from the dead? He placed his entire trust in the faithfulness of God, even though he had no idea how it would be accomplished. Can you imagine the relief that flooded Abraham when God showed him the ram that had been caught in the thicket? Surely there was a rush that went through his entire body as he saw once again God's faithfulness to him. 

 I want to contrast how Abraham felt going up to that place on Mt. Moriah to the feelings he had as he and Isaac went back to the camp of the young men who had remained at the bottom of the mountain. Did the force of his words spoken earlier to his servants really hit him as clearly then as they declare his faith to us? Those words had been, "... I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." (Genesis 22:5)  I read those words and know how this encounter concluded. Abraham said those words by faith in God's promise. Now, the hope that had been spoken was a reality. Though Isaac is not mentioned in today's text verse, we know that both "Abraham (and Isaac) returned unto his young men, and they rose up..."  Yes, I know they physically rose up in order to travel, but I believe the heart and mind of Abraham had been raised to a much higher level at this point than it had been when they left.  

I'm reminded of the words of James..."count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations" (James 1:2). The joy is experienced in the trial by trusting the blessed assurance of God's faithfulness and then at the conclusion of the trial when we realize that hope becomes reality in our experience.  May God help us to realize He is faithful no matter what is happening in our life at the moment. Trust Him. Wait upon Him. Love Him. Follow Him.