The Ultimate Sacrifice

Jun17

“Daddy, Daddy,” Ian said. “Where are we going?”

The man towering over him smiled. “You’ll see.”

Ian’s tiny legs rushed to keep up with his father’s large strides. Father promised an adventure today.

I can’t wait to see what it is.

Ian followed his father down the path. A dog barked in the distance, causing Ian to stiffen. He latched on to his father’s hand. Two boys played catch in a nearby field. A group of girls kicked themselves higher on a swing. The park was hustling with activity.

Father stopped by a bench. “Have a seat, Son.”

Ian sat, legs dangling over the edge. “What are we doing?”

Father knelt in front of him and pulled out some rope. “Do you trust me, Son?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

Father wrapped the rope around Ian’s body and fastened him to the bench.

Ian squirmed. “What are you doing?”

The dog barked again—louder this time.

“Daddy?”

Father finished tying him. “I had a little chat with Jesus today and He wanted me to do something.”

The barking increased. Ian peeked over his shoulder. A black dog ran toward him. Ian tried to kick himself free. “Daddy, he’s coming. Protect me.”

Father stood and crossed his arms.

Tears fell down Ian’s cheeks. “Daddy, aren’t you going to help? The dog will bite me.” He kicked harder.

“Don’t worry, Son. God will provide.” His father didn’t move.

“Rufus wait,” a girl said. “Come back.” She ran toward them, leashing dangling in her hand.

The dog stopped in front of Ian, dark eyes glaring. He growled.

Ian screamed. “No!” He closed his eyes and held his breath, waiting for teeth to sink into his flesh.

Nothing happened. He squinted one eye open.

Rufus sat at Ian’s feet and licked his hands. Ian giggled.

Father knelt and removed the ropes. “See, Son. God provided. He wanted us both to trust.”

What kind of a father would sacrifice his own son? Well, that’s exactly what Abraham was about to do. He lured Isaac to the mountain on the pretense that they were going to worship. Why?

Let’s take a look at this father and son’s unique story.

Abraham followed God’s instructions. Isaac was the son Abraham and Sarah never thought they would have—their pride and joy. Then, God asked Abraham to take Isaac, tie him to an altar, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. What? Can you imagine what may have gone through this older man’s mind? God, are you kidding? Why would you ask such a thing? You just gave Isaac to me and now you want me to kill him? Of course that’s not what happened. Abraham didn’t even question God’s instructions. He just did it. Wow. I have no idea how he could have done that. I don’t have children, but I can’t fathom having to give one up like this. But Abraham was willing. What is God asking us to sacrifice today? Is something holding us back from truly worshiping Him? How about we stop questioning and just follow His instructions!

DadAbraham trusted. Do you wonder if he hesitated? Perhaps they reached the spot, started to gather the wood, and he stopped? No, this man totally trusted God. Even when Isaac questioned where the lamb was Abraham replied, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” He trusted God—explicitly. Do we? With every core of our being?

Isaac didn’t flinch. Picture this with me. Your father grabs you, binds you with rope, and lays you on top of an altar. You know what’s coming next. Wouldn’t you try to get away? Scream? Kick? Something? Not this son. He didn’t even flinch. Why? He trusted his father—with his life. Literally. He knew his father wouldn’t lead him astray and that there was a reason for what he was doing. Do we flinch when bad things come our way? When we get scared? Let’s take a lesson from this boy and simply trust.

This story has always amazed me. Even more so today around this time of year—Father’s Day. I’ve often wondered how a father could do what he did. Was he a bad parent? Didn’t he love his only son?

Do you get the symbolism? Abraham loved his only son enough to sacrifice him for the Father he loved.

And this is exactly what God did for us. He gave up His only son to die for us. Jesus trusted His Father as He hung on the cross—explicitly. He didn’t flinch.

What kind of a Father would do that? One who loves us unconditionally.

Now that’s the ultimate sacrifice!

Give me your thoughts on the story of Abraham and Isaac. Would you have done the same thing?

Genesis 22:12 (NIV)

“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.”

I’ll Fly Away

(written by Albert E. Brumley, performed by Paul Brandt)

Father’s Day was yesterday. My father was such a kind and gentle man who loved me no matter how many times I disobeyed him and my mom. I miss him dearly. One of his favorite songs was “I’ll Fly Away.” Jeff and I recently saw Paul Brandt in concert and I loved when Paul sang this song. I immediately thought of Papa. I could picture him playing his guitar, tapping his toe, and belting out the words.

Listen and feel free to tap your toe! I know my dad is!

Milk and Honey

Jun10

Murray took a breath, lifted his chin, and walked into the CEO’s office. The balding, plump man sat behind his mahogany desk. Folders were piled neatly on a matching credenza, each labeled according to project. Pencils were lined up in a row, tips freshly sharpened. Not a speck of dirt to be found.

The employees had nicknamed him the control freak, but Murray appreciated his organizational skills. They were above reproach and they could all learn from the boss.

The CEO had requested this meeting forty days into Murray’s contract. Why now? In a few days they would complete their project and reach their promised targets.

Murray sunk into the leather chair, almost bouncing from its plushness. He ran his palm over the armrests and smiled.

I could get used to this.

A phone rang in the outer office, snapping Murray back to reality. “You wanted to see me, Sir?”

The boss placed his hands in a prayer position. “First of all, I want to commend you on a great job. You’ve done exceptional work leading your team. I know you struggled a bit at first, but your confidence shone through.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“However, your people have done a lot of complaining and made mistakes. They’ve wavered.”

Murray adjusted his tie. “I know and I’m sorry.”

“Because of this, the board is demanding I replace both you and your team. You won’t see the project to completion. Justin will lead a new group of fresh hires.”

Murray glanced at the floor. “I appreciate you telling me in advance of everyone else.”

The CEO nodded and went back to sharpening his pencils.

willingWas Moses frustrated when he found out he would not see the Promised Land—the land flowing with milk and honey? Perhaps. And that Joshua would be the leader to take them there? Did Moses wonder if it was all for nothing? I doubt it.

As we sum up our series on Moses, what can we learn from this amazing man, his journey, and the God who led him through?

Moses believed in himself. Not at first though. Remember the burning bush? He told God he couldn’t speak to the people. He lacked self-confidence, but eventually he found it and led his people out of their captor’s hand. He was willing to be anything God wanted him to be. Are we? Do we shy away from something because we don’t think we’re good enough? Or that we lack the talent? Let’s learn from Moses and believe in ourselves. God does!

Moses sinned, but God still used him. Yes, Moses failed at times. However, God forgave him and used him anyway. Do we stop doing something because we’ve made mistakes? We need to ask forgiveness, forgive ourselves, and then move on. When we do, God will do BIG things!!

Moses stuck with His people—always. I’m sure Moses must have been disappointed by the Israelites after everything he taught them about God. I bet he felt like he was banging his head against the wall. I can just hear him—Why. Don’t. They. Get. It? Moses loved his people and asked God to have mercy on them. Would we react the same way after we’ve been wronged over and over? A powerful lesson for us.

God loves us unconditionally, but He still disciplines. This is a tough one. God is a God of love and forgiveness, but like our earthly parents, He disciplines us. It may hurt, but it’s the key to growth. Without it we would become stagnant. Even after everything the Israelites did—grumbling, complaining, and worshiping idols—God still loved them. However, He didn’t let them see the Promised Land—only their children. When we fail, do we ask God to show us what He’s teaching us? Do we thank Him for showing us the right way even if it hurt?

Moses led his people out of Egypt even when he didn’t believe in himself. He trusted God to guide him. With each step, his faith and confidence grew.

All because he was willing to let God use him.

Are we? Will we find our land flowing with milk and honey?

Let’s take our faith steps—together.

What is God teaching you today? What faith steps have you taken? What have you learned from our journey into Moses’ life? Share with us in the comment section.

Deuteronomy 34:4 (NIV)

Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised an oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”

I Am Willing – Jeremy Camp

The song sums up Moses’ life perfectly. Amazing words. Are you willing to be anything He wants you to be?

Darkness Into Light – guest blog by Heather Joyes

Jun3

I wanted to feature this poem by my friend Heather Joyes. Her beautiful story tells us about how God leads us from darkness into the light. Share with Heather your comments. She’d love to hear from you.

 

Darkness Into Light

Deep in the dark
Where shadows hark,
Lost in sin
He walks.
Too blind to see
The everlasting Light
That belies his plight.
The still small voice,
Calls and convicts
Right to the marrow.
Christ’s love infuses the spirit
Like rain permeates the soil
Before the harrow,
Prepared to bear precious fruit.
Repentant and humbled,
The call is answered
To walk in the Light.
Rejoicing in salvation.
darkness to light

A Golden What?

May27

Murray punched the elevator button and waited. He couldn’t get off the 36th floor—or the tower as the employees called it—fast enough. The bell rang and the doors opened. He shuffled onto it, shoulders slouching. He checked his watch. Had he really been sequestered for twelve hours in that small, stuffy room.

He rubbed his temples hoping to relieve the migraine. That’s what this entire day had been—a headache. The board had approved his rules after hours of grueling discussions.

Murray leaned against the side of the elevator wall and shut his eyes. Within seconds, the bell rang announcing his arrival to first floor, jarring him awake.

I must be exhausted to have fallen asleep that quickly.

The doors opened and loud music blasted his ears. Excited voices filled the hall. What was happening and why were people still here?

Aiden greeted him outside the lunchroom. “Hey, you’re finally done. Listen, we’re having a party? Come and join us.”

Murray raised an eyebrow. “For what?”

“The employees came up with a new plan to save money. Surprisingly, it works while still giving them shorter hours and more vacation. They’re just celebrating their efforts now.” He grabbed Murray’s arm, steering him through the partying men and women.

Aiden shoved the plan in Murray’s face. “Read it. It’s golden.”

Murray glanced at the paper and clenched his jaw.

“Why did you let them do this?”

“They were restless.”

“So what. I just spent hours with the board and this ruins everything.” He threw his papers on the floor. Ripping up their plan into little pieces he threw it in the air. It floated to the ground like confetti.

Murray glanced at Aiden, eyes glaring. “You had no right to lead them into this.”

He stomped out of the room, leaving his staff in silence.

Can you imagine how frustrated Moses must have been after spending all that time on the mountain only to find his people sinning against God? Hadn’t they learned anything? And why did Aaron let them do it?

Let’s see what we can learn from it.angry

Moses got angry, but did he sin? I can imagine that Moses was exhausted after coming down from the mountain, and seeing his people worshiping a golden calf made him angry. Why wouldn’t it? We touched briefly on idols last week and how we should be worshiping the one true God. Moses knew this and thought the Israelites did too. And Aaron had organized it. How frustrated Moses must have been! Weren’t they listening? He probably felt he didn’t measure up in their eyes or why else would they do this? However, did he sin in his anger? I don’t think so. He was human. He broke his tablets and burned the golden calf. Do we commit sins when we’re angry? Probably, but do we recognize them as such? We need to confess, ask for forgiveness, and then move on.

Moses brought order back to the camp. After the golden calf incident, Moses moved on, and brought back order. He saw that Aaron had let them run wild, so Moses reeled them in like a fisherman does his catch. Once we’ve moved on we also need to do the same. Bring order back to our lives. Thank God for His forgiveness. Worship Him. Then we’ll be blessed!

Moses still went to bat for the people. Even after finding them sinning, Moses went to God and pleaded for the Israelites. In Genesis 32, verse 32 is says, “please forgive their sin.” That tells us how much he loved them. Would we do the same? Also, he took the ownership on himself. The rest of that verse says, “But if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.” Wow. This reveals Moses character. He was willing to blame himself for their sin. Again, would we do the same if someone wronged us? Something for us to think about.

Moses continues to amaze me. His character was beyond stellar. It was outstanding. Did he make mistakes? Of course, but this just shows us how things can be turned around when we give God control.

God took this simple quiet man, put him in a leadership role, and used him BIG time!

Moses didn’t let a golden calf get in his way.

Do we have one standing in our path? Burn it and then watch as God turns it into something golden! The right way.

What’s your take on this part of Moses journey? Do you think he sinned? What’s your golden calf? Share in the comments section.

Ephesians 4:26 (KJV)

“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.”

Pieces by Meredith Andrews

Do we let our sin hold us back from truly letting God use us? Do feel we don’t measure up to those around us? Let God use every piece of our lives for His glory! Listen to the lyrics of this song and be blessed.

Broken Rules

May20

Murray read his email for the fifth time, scrutinizing every word. It required perfection. He couldn’t have the workers twisting any of it to suit their own agendas. Due to recent behavioral problems with some employees, the CEO asked Murray to come up with a list of top ten rules.

“They need to be kept in line,” he said.

Does he think these rules won’t be broken? Seriously?

Murray’s fingers hovered over the keyboard. Was it complete? Sighing, he clicked send, printed the email, and headed down the steep stairs.

Time to face the grumblers. Let’s hope they obey.

If not, there will be consequences.

Rules were meant to be broken. Is this saying true? Why do we make them only to turn around and break them? Good question. We need some type of boundaries.

Should we break the Ten Commandments? After all, they’re just a set of rules, right?

No, absolutely not. Never.

But do we?

Yes. All the time. Even Christians.

Gasp!

Hear me out.

Obviously, I’m not talking about some commandments—don’t commit murder, steal, commit adultery, etc.

I’m referring to the less subtle ones. Let’s take a look at these commands God gave Moses on top of Mount Sinai. After all, they weren’t just for the Israelites.

You shall have no other gods before me. When we think of gods, what comes to mind? A golden calf? Statue of Buddha? Thor? In my opinion, these “gods” can consist of anything that takes us away from worshiping the one true God. That could be a person, a TV show, video games, socializing, etc. Don’t get me wrong, these aren’t horrible things, but if they steal all our time and we forget about God, then aren’t we worshiping them? I think we’ve all broken this commandment before. How about we think about what gods are in our lives and get rid of them?

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. Okay, this one gets to me because it’s broken all the time. Oh My God (OMG). Jesus Christ. Okay, I try and not use my blog as a soapbox, but what’s so difficult about the meaning behind this one? I don’t get it. “Oh My God” is taking the Lord’s name in vain! Enough said.

obeyHonor your father and your mother. Oh dear. I broke this one quite a bit when I was little. I sassed my mom too much! Just ask my siblings. :D (or, maybe don’t!) Are we thankful for our parents? Do we talk about them behind their backs? Do we disobey or disrespect them? These are all things to think about in keeping this commandment. God included it for a reason—let’s remember that.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. Do we try and keep up with the Joneses of this world? You betcha. That’s part of the reason why there is so much debt today. We have to buy the latest gadgets, fanciest cars, biggest houses…all because our neighbor can’t “one up” us. I believe this speaks about more than material things. Are we jealous of our friend’s gifts, physical appearance, jobs, etc? Let’s admit it. We all have broken this rule at one point or another.

I could go on, but I think we get the picture. We haven’t kept all of the Ten Commandments. Why don’t we take them seriously? They’re from God. Shame on us. How about we search our hearts? I know I’m going to.

After all, these rules were not meant to be broken.

What do you think? Are there other commandments we break? Am I wrong? Sound off in the comments section.

Exodus 19:20 (NIV)

“The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain.”

Up to the Mountain (by Patti Griffin)

Love Kree Harrison’s version of this song. I immediately thought of Moses going up to the mountain and had to use this song. Will we go up to the mountain and listen to His voice and obey Him?

Grumblers

May13

“They want what?” Murray couldn’t believe his ears. How can they be so ungrateful? After everything he’d done to help free them from the owner’s backward way of thinking, this is how they repay him? He ran his fingers through his hair.

“They’re asking for raises,” Aiden said. He slouched in his chair. “They also want longer breaks and lunches.”

Murray clenched his fists. Every morning he had laid out their schedule and provided exactly what they needed for the day. Now they grumble about everything.

The bathrooms weren’t clean enough. One complained the worker next to him talked on the phone too much. Another said that one woman typed too loudly.

When will it end? Why can’t they just be thankful for what they have?

Murray paced. “You know he’ll never go for that. Not after all we went though to be free of him.”

“I know, but what do we do?”

“Convince them to trust and wait for what’s to come.”

“How?”

“Think of something. You’re the communicator.”

Aiden tapped his finger on his chin. Seconds later, he stood. “Yes, we’ll stop the grumblers in their tracks.”

Do you know someone who complains and grumbles about everything? They never have anything good to say? A cloud of negativity follows them wherever they go. I bet someone comes to mind right now, huh? There’s always at least one in every crowd.

How do we deal with them? How did Moses? The Israelites wrote the book on grumbling. Let’s take a closer look.

rose

Moses listened. God had delivered the Israelites from Pharaoh’s army. After that the people were grateful. However, it quickly turned to complaints and grumbling. They were thirsty, hungry, and tired. So, what did Moses do? He listened to them. He needed to know what they wanted. Do we listen to a grumbler? Or do we see them coming and run in the opposite direction? Maybe they just want someone to talk to. Someone to take five minutes to hear what they have to say. Is that so hard? I know what you’re thinking…sometimes you just can’t please certain people. I agree! However, we need to give them a chance. How about it?

Moses took their requests to God. After listening to their complaints, Moses asked God what to do. God provided water, manna, and quail. Enough for their daily needs. Nothing more, nothing less. Did that satisfy them? For a while, but once again, they started to complain. So, Moses being the patient man he was went back to God. Did he get angry with the Israelites? Frustrated? Probably. Who wouldn’t? Do we have the patience we should with people like this? I would hazard a guess to say we don’t. I confess I don’t, but I’m learning! Let’s learn from Moses and ask God to show us how to deal with grumblers.

It’s true. There are some people who are just chronic complainers and grueling grumblers. And yes, there are times when we do just have to walk away. However, what can we do about it? Keep praying. Try lending a listening ear. Be positive. We just never know when our cheerful attitude will rub off on them.

How about we search our own hearts—do we grumble too much?  I recently wrote an article about a family who are serving in West Africa. I’ve seen pictures of the living accommodations in their area. Do we know how good we have it here? We have solid roofs over our heads, clean running water, easy access to what we need, etc. But, do you know what else I saw looking at the pictures? SMILES…and lots of them! They’re happy. Why aren’t we?

We have nothing to grumble and complain about.

Be thankful. Stay positive. And smile. It will not only cheer our hearts but wear off on those grumblers around us!

How do you deal with negative people that complain about everything? Share your secrets!

Exodus 16:2 (NIV)

“In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.”

Proverbs 15:13 (ASV)

“A glad heart maketh a cheerful countenance; But by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.”

Joyful, Joyful

(this version is by Bernie Herms | Mark Hall)

May this song rub off on us so others will see our joy! Let’s learn how to love each other.

Sing along and tap your toe! :D

Hardened Hearts

May6

Murray leafed through his final proposal one last time. He needed it to be sound to prove to Mr. Phelan that the workers were ready to go to the next phase. With each change, the owner had given him ten different reasons why he didn’t feel they were.

Every time Murray thought he would agree, the man’s heart had hardened to the idea. Will he have another excuse this time?

If this doesn’t work, I’m not sure what will.

Aiden paced.

“Will you sit,” Murray said. “You’re making me nervous.”

Aiden slumped in the chair. “What’s taking him so long?”

“He’s just proving a point. He’s in control.”

The office door opened and Mr. Phelan breezed in. “Morning boys. What can I do for you? More ideas?”

Boys?

Murray pulled his shoulders back and pushed his presentation folder across the table. “We prepared our final proposal. Open to page 15. You’ll see our latest updates there.”

Mr. Phelan pulled his reading glasses from his pocket and flipped pages.

Murray waited.

The owner slammed the folder shut. “This is ridiculous. You’re threatening a law suit?”

“If that’s what it takes,” Murray said.

Mr. Phelan stood and pointed to the door. “Fine, you have your agreement. Now leave. Take your workers with you and get it done.”

Murray eyed Aiden and caught the smirk on his co-worker’s face.

Yes! They did it.

Have you ever known someone with a hardened heart? Someone who just wouldn’t listen to reason? We all have. There’s always one in every crowd. In Moses’ story it was Pharaoh. However, in this case God had hardened the man’s heart. Why and what can we learn from this phase of Moses’ journey?

Even though Moses knew God had hardened Pharaoh’s heart, he still obeyed. God had told Moses from the beginning He would do this. Why? It was all part of His master plan. Maybe He was teaching Moses and the Israelites patience. Moses obeyed anyway. We need to do the same and ask God what He’s trying to teach us in every situation. Sometimes it’s a tough lesson, but it helps us grow.

Moses stayed positive. After being rejected each time, Moses went back to God to get the next instruction. And then he returned to Pharaoh to tell him what was going to happen. Pharaoh said he would let the people go, but every time he reneged. Did Moses get frustrated? Probably, but he stayed positive and kept on going. It’s that perseverance thing again. I confess…this week I failed in this area. I had a “Pharaoh” of my own to deal with and I lost my patience. It’s tough. However, I will put a smile back on and try to stay positive! I think I can, I think I can!

heart

Moses didn’t back down. When faced with rejection Moses kept at it. Again—another tough one. As a writer, getting rejected is all part of the process. You need to develop a thick skin. Moses had one. Do we?

When we come face-to-face with someone with a hardened heart what do we do? Walk away? Or do what we’re called to do anyway? It’s tough and we need to pray for guidance. There are times when we need to turn around and leave. However, knowing that fine line is important. We could be just what that person needs in that particular moment.

Another question to ponder. Are we the ones with the hearts needing softened? Maybe we’re stuck in a rut and pulling everyone around us down. Praying for God to change our hearts is the right medicine.

Don’t have a hardened heart. It can turn to stone if we’re not careful.

How do you approach someone with a hardened heart? Share your tips. They could help us all!

Exodus 10:20 (NIV)

“But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.”

In Your Arms – Meredith Andrews

This week has been a challenging one for me and I think the most stressed I’ve been in a long time. I found myself listening to Meredith Andrews—a lot! There’s just something about her lyrics and sweet voice that draws me in. I told my sister I was planning on sticking my head in the sand like an ostrich this weekend. I didn’t want to have to deal with anything. When I listened to this song as I went for a walk, it hit me. I don’t want to stick my head in the sand, but fall face down on the floor and rest in His arms.

That’s where we find peace and a positive heart.