Your Greatest Treasure
An excerpt from Surrendered: Finding God in What We Let Go
Take a look at the beginning of Scripture with a story that will leave you speechless. Abraham and Isaac were asked to give up something big, but God did not leave them empty handed. Discover how God can be trusted with your greatest treasure.
Read Genesis 22:1-8
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together.
7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.”
And he replied, “Here I am, my son.”
Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together (CSB).
Excuse me, what? Did God just ask Abraham to sacrifice his son? Yes, yes He did. If you’re wrestling with why God would ask for something so extreme like this, you’re not alone. But I can assure you it’s not because He is cruel, but because He wants to reveal something new about His character. Sometimes, God asks us to give up our greatest treasures to remind us that He is our first love and He is more than enough to satisfy our souls. Abraham waited 25 years for Isaac to be born, but He was willing to surrender him to the Lord because of His trust in the Lord. He had been following the Lord for a long time and experienced countless moments of His provision and faithfulness.
The longer we follow God, the more we experience His care and attention to detail. Whether you are just beginning your relationship with God or have been walking with Him for years, each day brings a new opportunity to surrender something to Him and trust Him with the outcome. What is He asking you to lay at His feet this Lenten season?
Questions to Consider
What is your greatest treasure? If God asked you to give it up, how would you respond?
How have you experienced God’s faithfulness? How does that influence your willingness to trust Him with your greatest treasure?
Prayer
God, reveal your matchless faithfulness to me. Reassure me that my greatest treasure is secure in your hands. Help me put my full trust in you and lean on your understanding, not my own. When I am tempted to doubt your goodness, remind me of your steadfast love.
If you’re on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen with Abraham and Isaac, then check out the full devotional here!