These past few months have been a time of great loss.
We’ve lost our health and maybe even our loved ones through Covid-19. We’ve lost jobs or at least income with the lockdowns. We’ve lost friends and social contact through the quarantines. Our kids especially have lost education, opportunities, trips, and experiences they had looked forward to. We’ve lost church, at least -in-person church. We’ve lost a sense of security with all the uncertainty. We’ve lost our national unity as protesting and riots have divided us on race.
If there’s one thing we need to hear when we are feeling our losses and fearing more losses, it’s this, “God will provide.” That’s what Abraham kept telling himself when he thought he was losing everything in Genesis 22:6-10 when God called him to sacrifice his son, Isaac.
I’M LOSING EVERYTHING
At every step of the way, Abraham was reminded of his impending massive loss.
- When he packed (6a)
- When he travelled (6b)
- When he talked (7-8)
- When he made the altar (9a)
- When he tied Isaac on the alter (9b)
- When he raised his knife (10)
Abraham wasn’t just losing his son,
he was losing his salvation.
What can comfort us in our own times of loss? What comforted Abraham? God’s provision (8).
GOD WILL PROVIDE
These three words supported Abraham:
- When he packed (6a)
- When he travelled (6b)
- When he talked (7-8)
- When he made the altar (9a)
- When he tied Isaac on the alter (9b)
- When he raised his knife (10)
How did Abraham do this? By faith.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back (Hebrews 11:17-19).
When you fear “I’m losing everything,”
have faith that “God will provide.”
LIVING THE BIBLE
Abraham renamed that place “God will provide” (22). He used God’s past provision to encourage him in God’s future provision. When we are feeling our losses and fearing more losses, remember God is providing and God will provide.
This episode of Living the Bible lines up with Expedition 5: Day 4 in Exploring the Bible Together: A 52 Week Family Worship Plan and Exploring the Bible: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids. You can catch up with previous episodes of the Living the Bible podcast here or subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcast.