“Getting Into Shape: When You Don’t Know Where You’re Headed”
Gen. 12:1-9; 15:1-6; 25:1-11
Oh my dear ones – I’m an old man, full of years and richly blessed. The time of my departure may be near. As I lay here I’ve been thinking about my pilgrimage though life, and about our all-powerful, all-loving God. Where would I be without Him? Where would we be without Him? Bear with me as my heart is full with things I want to share with you.
As I reflect upon my pilgrimage, I am amazed at where I am, considering where I was. I am here – we are here – because of God. That thought, that realization is what drove me all along the way. Dear ones, REMEMBER GOD’S CALL. Why did God call me? Because He wanted to - because He chose me. I am what I am and where I am because of God’s mercy. I was from Ur; my people were idol worshippers. I was a simple sheep master. There was nothing in me that deserved or drew the attention of God. Yet He said to me “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” He did not tell me where it was, nor did He tell me what it was like. I had no idea where I was headed. But when God calls, it doesn’t matter where to. It means it’s time to go.
And going involves LEAVING. Everything I had and knew, except for immediate family, had to be left behind. Leaving means separation –a cutting off from what we know best. I needed to break away from everything that had made me who I was. It’s tough to leave the known and familiar. But the more we walk with God the more He separates us to Himself.
In fact, the longer and further you walk with God the more you will be SURRENDERING. I can still hear God speaking to me: "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." All of God’s promises for my future were bound up in Isaac. All the promises for the future of God’s family were bound up in Isaac. Yet God was asking me to sacrifice Isaac. So I had a dilemma. Would I rely on past promises that Isaac would be my heir, or obey the present command to kill Isaac? How could God keep His word and still let Isaac die? God was asking me to give up the guarantee of my future. But that’s God! God goes for broke as He asks us TO SURRENDER TO HIS WILL AT THE DEEPEST LEVEL OF OUR BEING – even if we do not know where we are headed.
So God was asking me to release what was dearest to me. It turns out, that was the real issue. Isaac was dearest to me. God wanted me to know I needed to be more committed to the giver than the gift. I needed to remember that God had told me “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, and your very great reward.” As dear as you are Isaac, my greatest treasure is God who gave you to me. Until I could release you back to God, I could walk no further. God’s call necessarily involves leaving and surrendering - releasing whatever is preventing God from being our dearest treasure.
That’s why it’s important, all along the way, to be BUILDING – to be building altars to our God. Wherever He meets with you, whenever you renew your vows to Him, whenever you seek Him, build an altar. Draw near to Him. Worship Him. The altars serve as touch points in remembering who’s in charge and who’s leading the way. Remembrance of God is what will keep you from turning back and empowers you to keep going. Remember God’s call, especially when you do not know where you are headed.
That brings me to another thought; FOLLOW GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS. There are often months or even years between God’s instructions and revelation of the next steps, and between God’s promises and any fulfillment. Wait – do not run ahead of God. You know I did that too often. It never worked. I tried to hurry birthing an heir through Hagar; I lied to Pharaoh about who Sarah was; I went into Egypt in fear of the famine in Canaan. None of these self-driven efforts worked. God had to step in and correct me and save the situations – every time. Yes – God is merciful and kept restoring me; but I hate to think of how much time and effort I wasted, and all the blessings I missed, trying to fulfill God’s calls and commands in my way – because I felt I couldn’t wait. Wait – do not run ahead of God.
Wait – God will speak again. God will reveal what you need to know when you need to know it. And then when God speaks, hasten to OBEY. One time I got it right was when God told me to sacrifice Isaac.
I had already cut myself off from my past. Now God was asking me to cut myself off from my future. So early the next morning I got up and saddled my donkey. I took with me two of my servants and Isaac. When I had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, I set out for the place God had told me about. Obedience is always the primary issue for God. We either pass or fail. We cannot obey partially – we cannot pick and choose - with obedience, it’s all or nothing. So since I heard nothing more from God I prepared the wood and the fire, bound Isaac and laid him on the altar. Still nothing more from God. So I raised the knife.
You see, God has a right to lead us wherever He pleases. We may not know where we are going, but we know with whom we go. We may not know the road, but we know the Guide. We may not know the length of our pilgrimage, but we know the everlasting arms that carry us. We may not know what trials and opposition we will meet along the way, but we know the One who will deliver us from or through them. So even when we don’t know where we’re headed – especially when we don’t know where we’re headed - we must obey.
Believe me – preparing Isaac for sacrifice, raising my arm high was not easy – not without emotion. But I knew that when we don’t know what’s up, and don’t know what’s coming or where we’re headed, we must TRUST GOD‘S PROMISES. When God told me to leave and go He made a promise to me: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” GOD’S CALL RESTS ON HIS PROMISES. God may not have told me anything about the new location but He did tell me the results of going. God doesn’t give reasons, just rewards and results. After my father died and I moved on and came to one of God’s stopping places, God made another promise (13:16), “All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.” I believed that God fulfills His promises.
That’s why I put Isaac on the altar. I believed, I knew, that somehow, someway, GOD ALWAYS PROVIDES. I had high expectations of God because of God’s past performances in my life. I knew that God had never failed to deliver on a promise; I was willing to trust in God’s continued faithfulness. I knew in my heart of hearts that God would not lie. I DID NOT NEED TO UNDERSTAND, BUT ONLY TO OBEY AND LEAVE THE DETAILS TO GOD. Remember that GOD’S GOAL IS TO LEAD US TO TRUST HIM FULLY AND THEREFORE BE WILLING TO WALK FORWARD EVEN IN THE DARKNESS WHEN WE CANNOT SEE OUR WAY. “Faith is… being certain of what we do not see.”
So my arm was raised – and an angel of God spoke and told me to stop. I looked up and there in a thicket I saw a ram caught by its horns. I went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of Isaac. So I called that place ‘The LORD Will Provide.’ It’s not so much that I was faithful as that God was faithful. Trust is the key that releases God’s provisions. When we do the believing God will do the achieving.
But I want you to hear me. I was in Moriah when God provided the lamb. GOD PROVIDED THE LAMB IN THE PLACE OF OBEDIENCE! I did not have to sacrifice Isaac, but I had to release him. You do not have to sacrifice anything to receive God’s provision, but you need do release everything to Him. He is really asking a question: “Are you willing to let go of what I’ve given you before, to receive what I have for you now?” WE EXPERIENCE THE PROVISION OF GOD WHEN WE STAND IN THE PLACE OF OBEDIENCE. When you don’t know where you’re going, trust God’s promises and obey.
I’m tired now. I need to rest. But before I do I want you to know that though my departure may not be far off, I am LOOKING FORWARD to my eternal rest. I have lived in tents and had no city. But I have kept and am keeping my eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God. Once again, I don’t know where it is or what it’s like – but I do know I’m going there. For God is faithful. He is my greatest treasure. Remember God’s call, follow God’s instructions, and trust God’s promises – trust and obey – and experience God’s faithfulness. He is your reward. Treasure Him. Let me rest.
