Читать книгу There is More: When the World Says You Can’t, God Says You Can - Brian Houston, Brian Houston - Страница 26

In Abraham’s hand he held his boy, in his heart he held his promise, and in his obedience the Lord provided.

The Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

So he said, “Here I am.”

And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (verses 11–18)

Can you digest those promises? Blessings: “I will bless you.” Fruitfulness: “I will multiply you.” And the blessing didn’t stop with Abraham, for God said that because of his obedience, the nations would also be blessed.

I want to suggest to you that there is “more” on the other side of your obedience, both now and in the future. Your ability to hold fast to the promises of God, trust in His provision, and believe that His desire for your life is abundance will hold you in good stead time and time again. That when the difficult times, the testing times, the waiting times, and the trying times come, Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord our Provider, is walking ten steps ahead, purposing the above-all-you-could-ask-or-imagine life, both here and in eternity.

Abraham’s initial promise (found in Genesis 15) was for numerous descendants. His reward for obedience was an honor bestowed on him that would outlast time. You see, Abraham was to become the patriarch of the Davidic line that would lead to Christ. It was obedience that led him to abundantly above all he could ask or imagine.

What a promise! What a hope we have! Unlike Abraham, we have been given all the promises of abundant life and all the parameters of holy living—without the sacrifice. As 1 Samuel 15:22 says, “Obedience is better than sacrifice” (NLT).