Genesis 22:1-12 –After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”.

THEME OF THE DAY: OUR MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP. Today’s scripture is a tough story. It has so much that tugs at the heart. It makes us really look deep into our own souls with probing questions like, “Could I have done what Abraham was about to do?”, “Is my love for God and commitment to obey Him at the level of Abraham?” and “Am I allowing anything or anyone, even my family members, to be placed above obeying my God?” Yes, this is a tough story with soul-searching implications for all of us. Yet, it is also a very encouraging story for a couple of reasons. First, Abraham is not a “super saint” and what he was enabled to do, we can also. He is a sinner saved by grace and the resources of God enabling him to obey are available for us. Next, Abraham reveals to us what enables and motivates us to obedience at all cost – walking in the fear of the Lord. As we consider Abraham’s supreme example of loving God first and foremost in his life, he reveals something for us that is so critical and challenging in our lives, and especially in our relationships with our families.

We must understand God desires, even commands, that He hold the highest place of affection in our hearts. He will not allow anyone or anything to usurp His rightful and supreme position in our lives and hearts. And the only way God has this position in our lives is by our obedience, just like Abraham. And for God to be where He should be in our lives, like Abraham, we cannot allow the most precious of our human relationships, our families, be above the Lord. This is tough, but the call to be a follower of Christ means no human relationship, even the most intimate of the family, can be given the chief place of affection and allegiance in us. That by no means is a call to be a neglectful husband, wife, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, son or daughter. In fact, the only way to be a proper God-honoring, Christ-modeling, and influential disciple of the Lord Jesus in our family roles is to ensure God has first place in our affections. It will always be true; neglect the most important relationship in life, that with our Lord, and our human families will suffer. Oh, we may give them great vacations, great memories, great times together, and provide wonderful material things in life, but what will be missing is the most important thing we may give them – a Christ-centered legacy. Neglect God, and we will neglect a rich spiritual influence in our families. Think for a moment the impact his dad’s obedience to God had on Isaac; life-changing. He saw a dad who loved God and was willing to obey at all cost. And friends, it will be the same for us. The greatest thing we give our families is a life of whole-hearted and sincere obedience to God by maintaining Him as the chief relationship we have in life.

PRAYER: “Father, help me not to put anything or anyone above You when it comes to the call of obedience.”

QUOTE: “God deserves the highest place in our lives because He is worthy, our Creator, and our Redeemer.”