In the book of Genesis Abraham was commanded by God to take his only son, Isaac, and give him to God as a sacrifice. Amazingly Abraham obeyed believing that God was able to raise Isaac up from the dead if need be.
Isaac was the child promised by God and Abraham is commended for his holding to God's promises. He believed that even if his son died, God was able to raise him from the dead and thus keep his promise that Abraham would have descendant too numerous to count. I think God tests us in a similar {albeit smaller}way. Sometimes God will ask us to give up to him that which he provided us and is connected with his promise and purpose and we have to trust that he will still bring the promise to pass.
One small way I have experienced this recently was with regard to the financial provision that I believe God has given me in order to travel to Kenya. Some time after the troubles began I began to feel a deep conviction about doing something more than praying for those who had suffered loss in the country. But what could I do?
My mind went to the money God had provided and at first I questioned whether such a thing would be right. After all hadn't God blessed me for a specific reason and surely it wouldn't be right to use that money for something else. Nevertheless I couldn't shake the conviction that to use that money to help those in immediate need was the right thing to do. There were a few of things that came to mind.
1 - It was given by God anyway and he can decide to channel it somewhere else if he so desires.
2 - A preaching trip is all well and good but practically what people need right now is financial help.
3 - If this trip was of God then the same God who made provision for it in the first place will do so again.
4 - God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. This is a small thing with him. Don't look at the size of the problem, look at the size of God.
5 - He who gives to the poor lends to the Lord. You are guaranteed not to lose anything. In other words I couldn't give it away if I tried!
6 - Jesus said that insomuch as you've done this to the least of these my children you have done it to me. {How could I say no after that!}
Anyway, to cut a long story short I began to sent money by Western Union money transfer and I asked God to meet my needs. One Wednesday I opened my payslip to find I had been given an 11% pay rise for no apparent reason. I wondered if it was a mistake but the next payslip was the same and the supervisor confirmed it. {I've worked there since the early 90's and never had more than the statutory pay rise just like everyone else. I never asked anyone for this and my job hasn't changed in any way. The only one who knew about this request was God.}
Through his experience on Mount Moriah, Abraham has a revelation of God as Jehovah Jireh. {Meaning 'In the mount of the Lord it will be provided'}. As Abraham was in the process of obeyed God, the Lord showed him a ram caught in the thickets nearby which was God's provision for the sacrifice. Isaac lived and the promise of God that Abraham's descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky was fulfilled.
When I asked God to provide for me I had a sense that this was the prayer God wanted me to pray and it was the one he intended to answer but before that I had to take what God had given to fulfill his purpose and sacrifice it.
I believe God delights to show Himself strong to those who trust Him. I believe He especially likes to answer those who come to Him as a God of grace. {That is, a God who freely gives.} God is no man's debtor and is obligated to no-one yet for those who come to Him acknowledging Him for who he is, God seems to take a special delight. He delights to show Himself strong on behalf of those who trust Him and take Him at his word.
