Tuesday, April 12, 2011

What If Blessings Come In Disguise?

I don't think Abraham's story truly held me in the grip of understanding until today.

Don't get me wrong, I don't pretend to understand this great man of faith or hold myself in comparison to his journey, however, I think I "get" him, just a little better since traveling through these past few years of TTC (trying to conceive).

Today I read Abraham's testing of faith concerning his promised son, Isaac, with new eyes today, and I wondered, "How did Abraham feel? What emotions coursed through his veins in this story that is surmised in one chapter of our modern day Bibles?"

So if you will travel this path with me, here is what I imagine the emotions and thoughts behind the scenes to have been like....



One day the Lord came to speak to me. I always love when He speaks to me....but this day was...well....different...just check it out....

"Abraham! Abraham!"

"Yes, Lord! I am here!"

"Take your son, Isaac, the one you love SO VERY MUCH, to sacrifice him on the mountain I will show you as a burnt offering to me."

"Yes, Lord!"

Did I just say 'Yes!'? What is the Lord asking of me? How can I give my boy, my son, my source of blessing BACK to the Lord? How can I kill him with my own hands? Why is God asking this of me? Didn't I wait long enough for this precious boy? How can God end it like this? But what can I do? I will put my trust in the Lord that His plans are best, but He is going to have to give me strength to do this.

The journey took us 3 days. Isaac was so willing, so trusting. I felt like a traitor. I mean, I AM HIS FATHER. He is supposed to be able to trust me. He doesn't know what the Lord is asking me to do. When he asked me where the sheep was for the burnt offering, I told him that the Lord would provide. Oh, I pray that I am not lying to my son.

When we arrived at the place that God had sent us, I built an altar. The whole time I was building, I thought surely the Lord has another plan, another way. I felt anger, bitterness, resentment, vying for first place in my being, but I fought them. "My Lord, I trust in you."

Then came the moment when I had to put my son on the altar. His face.....I will never forget the face....the way he looked at me with fear and questioning and yet he said nothing. As tears poured down my face and his, I told him, "You are the sacrifice that the Lord has asked for." I picked up the knife while my hand trembled. Could I really do this? How would I explain this to Sarah when I got home? I had to be done with it.

"I love you, son," I sobbed as I raised the knife to pour my son's blood.

At that very moment, I heard his voice again, "Abraham! Put the knife down. Don't harm your son in any way. I see your heart is for me, even to the point of giving your only son."

Then God provided a ram, and Isaac and I sacrificed it. I called the place "Yahweh-Yireh" - "The Lord will provide." Oh how Isaac and I laughed, danced, and rejoiced in the presence of the Lord and in each other's embrace.

Then this is what the Lord said to me,

"Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and sand on the seashore. Yours descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed --all because you have obeyed me."

Yeah. That was quite a day - a day for the history books. I wanted to write it down because I don't know yet WHAT it means or what God is going to do, but He is amazing, and I thought you should know.


This song has been resounding in my heart and spirit over the past few days, and I have been wanting to share it here, but hadn't found quite the words to go with it.



"What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is
the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?"

I think this is what happened to Abraham....the longing, the waiting, the desiring led him to a place where only God's love & grace could satisfy, no matter the cost.

I, too, am on this journey, and to be honest, I am scared to pieces, but like Abraham I want to declare, "YAHWEH-YIREH - My God SHALL supply!"

So I will just put one foot in front of the other, and maybe some days, I will sit down and cry, and other days, I will fight on, trusting that His blessings may be in disguise along the way.

And you know.....I sure don't want to miss those.


Zechariah 9:11-12 (New Living Translation)

11 Because of the covenant I made with you,
sealed with blood,
I will free your prisoners
from death in a waterless dungeon.
12 Come back to the place of safety,
all you prisoners who still have hope!
I promise this very day
that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles.



Join me at the jam....


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*Story of Abraham & Isaac adapted from Genesis 22
*If you would like to know Laura Story's personal testimony behind the above song, check out this clip:



7 comments:

Diana Trautwein said... Best Blogger Tips

Lindsay,

Thanks for your kind comments on my post. Now let me return the favor. This is a very creative, imaginative and helpful way to really enter the biblical story. You've told it well and held my attention. And you've found a powerful point of personal connection to this story, too. Well done! Thank you.

Two important points with this story that I'd like to offer to you as food for thought: First - Abraham said to his servants as he and isaac headed up that mountain, "WE will be back with you soon..." What do you make of that?

And second - Isaac asked his father what the plan was as they approached that altar, "Father - where is the sacrifice?"

I think both of these interesting details may point to another layer of meaning in this famous and favorite story of our faith: God, in addition to 'testing' Abraham's loyalty and love may very well have been illustrating in a powerful way the truth that child sacrifice is NOT what God asks us for.

These early patriarchs lived in a culture that was filled with these horrors and Yawheh Yirah wanted it to be crystal clear that YHWH was not like the other gods. YHWH's love and call to covenant obedience asks for the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit, a willing heart - not the blood of one's own children.

And YHWH, as he would centuries later, provided the sacrifice needed so that father and son could worship together before they rejoined their journeymates.

I pray with you that YHWH will hear the prayer of your hearts as you pursue conception. And I bless you in your acceptance of whatever happens, knowing that God will find a way to bless you in any and every circumstance.

Melissa, Multi-Tasking Mama said... Best Blogger Tips

So glad to find your blog through Faith Jam...what a story you have. I also enjoyed your insight into Abraham's story!

Bonnie Gray said... Best Blogger Tips

Hi Lindsey! I was so excited to see you in the jam last week. Thank you so much for sharing such a creative post, where you step into the shoes of Abraham... I esp. loved the quote you shared from Laura Story's song.

""What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is
the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?"

I'm filing that one away.. :)

Thank you sharing what's on your soul..

Lindsey V said... Best Blogger Tips

@Diana Trautwein Wow, Diana! Thank you for your kind thoughts as well as your added points. Definitely great insight! I appreciate you stopping by!

@Melissa, Multi-Tasking Mama Thanks so much, Melissa, for stopping by here and for your kind words!

@Bonnie Gray Thanks, Bonnie, for hosting the jam each week...I have enjoyed "brewing" together!

Lindsey V said... Best Blogger Tips

@Diana Trautwein Wow, Diana! Thank you for your kind thoughts as well as your added points. Definitely great insight! I appreciate you stopping by!

@Melissa, Multi-Tasking Mama Thanks so much, Melissa, for stopping by here and for your kind words!

@Bonnie Gray Thanks, Bonnie, for hosting the jam each week...I have enjoyed "brewing" together!

Bonnie Gray said... Best Blogger Tips

Hi Lindsey! I was so excited to see you in the jam last week. Thank you so much for sharing such a creative post, where you step into the shoes of Abraham... I esp. loved the quote you shared from Laura Story's song.

""What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is
the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?"

I'm filing that one away.. :)

Thank you sharing what's on your soul..

Diana Trautwein said... Best Blogger Tips

Lindsay,

Thanks for your kind comments on my post. Now let me return the favor. This is a very creative, imaginative and helpful way to really enter the biblical story. You've told it well and held my attention. And you've found a powerful point of personal connection to this story, too. Well done! Thank you.

Two important points with this story that I'd like to offer to you as food for thought: First - Abraham said to his servants as he and isaac headed up that mountain, "WE will be back with you soon..." What do you make of that?

And second - Isaac asked his father what the plan was as they approached that altar, "Father - where is the sacrifice?"

I think both of these interesting details may point to another layer of meaning in this famous and favorite story of our faith: God, in addition to 'testing' Abraham's loyalty and love may very well have been illustrating in a powerful way the truth that child sacrifice is NOT what God asks us for.

These early patriarchs lived in a culture that was filled with these horrors and Yawheh Yirah wanted it to be crystal clear that YHWH was not like the other gods. YHWH's love and call to covenant obedience asks for the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit, a willing heart - not the blood of one's own children.

And YHWH, as he would centuries later, provided the sacrifice needed so that father and son could worship together before they rejoined their journeymates.

I pray with you that YHWH will hear the prayer of your hearts as you pursue conception. And I bless you in your acceptance of whatever happens, knowing that God will find a way to bless you in any and every circumstance.

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