“A Ship in a harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for…” ~ Anonymous

Haloes! J

“A Ship in a harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for…”  ~ Anonymous

Genesis 22:1-18

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”  “Here I am,” he replied.  Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”  Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.  On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.  He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”   Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,  Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”  “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.  “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”  Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.  When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.  But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”  “Here I am,” he replied.   “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”  Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”   The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time  and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,  I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

”Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” - Will Rogers

Vandag se gedagteki kyk ons verder na Abraham en Sara…  God het voorsien, deur aan hulle ‘n seun te gee…  God het aan hulle ‘n seun gegee, vir wie hulle oneindig lief geraak het – net om hulle te vra om hom te offer?!  Ek dink as ek Abraham of Sara moes wees, sou ek glad nie verstaan het wat aangegaan het nie…  Ek sou seker ook bang en kwaad gevoel het – dit waarvoor ek so lank gebid en gehoop het, en toe UITEINDELIK gekry het, wat ek net so skielik weer moes opgee?  Abraham is vir my so ‘n ultimate voorbeeld van hoe dit is om God te dien, en te vertrou, maak nie saak wat nie…  Dink jouself gou in, in Abraham se skoene…  Jy en jou seun is besig om te stap om die Here te gaan aanbid, en hy vra aan jou – “Pa, wat gaan ons vir die Here offer?”  Wat sou jy antwoord?!  Abraham se absolute gehoorsaamheid, en geloof in God is wat in hierdie storie die deurslag is…  Hy het sy seun geantwoord deur te sê – “My seun, God self sal die offer voorsien…”

En God het toe net dit gedoen!  Net voordat hy sy seun se lewe wou neem, praat God met hom, en sê aan hom dat Hy kan sien dat Abraham hom steeds liewer het as wat hy sy seun het…  En dat dit vir hom goed was om te sien dat Abraham getrou en volhardend steeds vir God aanbid, selfs al word dit waarvoor hy die liefste is, van hom weggeneem… Hy sal hom seën met ‘n nageslag so baie soos daar sterre in die Hemelruim is!  Net daar het God ‘n lam voorsien, en verhoed dat Abraham sy kosbaarste persoon verloor…  Ek wil vanoggend vir jou verseker – waaroor jy jouself ookal vandag bekommer – rus in Abraham se woorde aan sy seun, asof God dit self vanoggend vir jou sê – My kind, God self sal aan jou voorsien hierdie dag, hierdie week…  Wat jy ookal nodig het, waaroor jy ookal bekommerd is, waaroor jy ookal bid…  God self sal voorsien in jou behoeftes – beter as wat jy ooit sal kan droom of hoop…  VERTROU God, selfs al oortuig jou omstandighede jou dat daar geen hoop meer is nie…  Vanweë die feit dat jy God se kind is, kan jy WEET – daar is ALTYD, maar ALTYD hoop…  “I know I still make mistakes, But You have new mercies for me everyday, Your love never fails…” ~ Jesus Cultre

Blessings!

Anelli**