Our Pathway to Blessings

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”And he said, “Here I am.”2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Genesis 22:1-2 (New King James Version)

Early in the Bible in the book of Genesis, there are life lessons that have the ability to shape who we are and what we can become. There are significant individuals in the Old Testament that bear witness to each of us on what can be done to find blessings that only God can provide. Abraham is one such individual that can serve as a marker for each of us during our walk with Him. In order to grasp the magnitude of the teachings exemplified through Abraham’s life we must understand and maintain the following truths:

• God is not a liar – we should be comforted in the fact that God always means what He says to us and says what He means. There are never any “gray” areas with God so we should take heart that He is true to His word. (Titus 1:2)

Has God not provided us with the Bible that recounts all the events He has manifested because of a people that were defiant? Does not the Bible recall the blessings bestowed upon those who have carried out His word?

• God does not overlook sin – we should give thanks to a God that does not look past committed sin, but instead convicts us of any unholy action we partake of; without conviction of our wrongdoing, we would never have the blessing of repentance that He uses to reclaim us. (Acts 17:30)

Has there ever been a time when you felt uneasy about a decision that you were about to make? Have you ever experienced confirmation of a decision that you felt was right? Could you have felt a spiritual nudging away from or towards a decision?

• God is compassionate, God is Love – without His love and mercy there would be no plan for our salvation or the opportunity of repentance. (1 John 4:8)

Have you had the blessing of being water baptized in Jesus precious name? Has there ever been a time when He spared you from a horrific accident, a major financial crisis, or experienced the miracle of healing for you or a loved one?

Therefore, what is the importance of these truths and how does it relate to the test that Abraham had to endure? Abraham always remembered that our God is a blessing God that will show favor on those who follow His divine direction. The path described to us in Genesis 22 is the path Abraham took without reservation allowing future followers to learn from his actions which includes:

1. Abraham realized blessings are on loan from God. Abraham did not lay claim to God’s blessings. God is the true owner of all blessings physical, physiological, or spiritual.

If asked to do something from an employer or a family member, how quickly would you act on the request? If God asked you to do something for Him, would you act on it without reservation or hesitate? Why is it sometimes so difficult to carry out a request from God, our Father in Heaven that ALWAYS has our best interest at heart?

2. Abraham heard God. It is as simple as that. The ability to listen for the voice of God is completely different from hearing God. We have to engage in order to listen to God, whereas hearing allows the distractions of the outside world to compete with the message given to us through Scripture, preaching, or spiritual “nudges”.

It is easy to be caught up with the idea that we heard God, but were we really listening? What can you do to drown out the distractions involved with hearing in order to listen to what God has to say to you personally?

3. Abraham was fully obedient to God’s word. When asked to go to Moriah, he went without question or hesitation. When asked to sacrifice the son God bestowed him, he made the necessary arrangements in faith.

Is there something God has asked you to do that you have done without reservation? Have you taken that first step towards His direction without being able to see the reason for the direction He is taking you? What can you do to allow your spirit to follow His direction without question or doubt?

Keeping these key points close to our hearts will give everyone of us, regardless of where we are in our walk with God, the opportunity to experience the blessings that only the Lord can provide. Should we choose to take our own direction we need only to reference Proverbs 14:12 to realize that it will only lead us to death and not life everlasting. By the same right, let us be prayerful that we will all experience the glory of the Lord by claiming upon family, friends, and enemies alike the blessings only He can bestow.

Neither let those who pass by them say, “The blessing of the LORD be upon you; We bless you in the name of the LORD!”(Psalm 129:8)