Abraham obeyed God and reaped the blessings of obedience in a mighty way.
We see this when God asked him to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering as he did not hesitate. He rose up early in the morning, took Isaac and some wood and set out to go where God had told him. (Genesis 22:1-3)
After their three day journey, Abraham prepared the altar, laid his son on it and as he stretched his hand, the Angel of the Lord called out to him and told him not to harm Isaac. (Genesis 22:12)
This act of laying Isaac on the altar was an act of mighty obedience since he had waited for this son to be born for many years because Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. (Genesis 21:5)
In addition, as he was doing this, Abraham had already sent the son that his wife's maid Hagar had borne him away. (Genesis 21:14) Therefore sacrificing Isaac would mean that he would have been left without a son or a child for that matter.
God would immeasurably increase what Abraham was willing to give Him by giving descendants that would me as many as the sand on the seashore.
In addition, God would also give his descendants power to possess the gates of their enemies.
Gates in Biblical times were very important areas since they protected the city from invaders. They also controlled who entered the city for trade and other purposes. Disputes were also settled at the city gates.
By controlling the gates of their enemies, Abraham's descendants would control their enemies economically, militarily and judicially.
Therefore if you want to reap the blessings of obedience like Abraham, do what God tells you to do.
If you are having difficulties giving something that God has asked you to give, meditate on the Bible verse Given back to you a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and overflowing. (Luke 6:38)
Then remind yourself of how Abraham "gave" his son Isaac and it was given to him a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and overflowing in the form of his many descendants their power to control the gates of their enemies.
I say Abraham "gave" Isaac to God because even though he did not actually physically sacrifice him, his actions of tying him up, placing him on the altar and raising the knife to slay him prove that he had already given him up mentally and emotionally and it was only God's Angel who stopped him from killing him physically.
To encourage yourself to obey God when you are having a rough time doing so, remind yourself that it is also written To obey God is better than to offer Him a sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:22)
Learn from King Saul who was told by Samuel these words when he refused to obey God and destroy all the Amalekites for his punishment for disobedience was loosing his kingdom for Samuel told him, "Because you have rejected the word of God, God has also rejected from being king". (1 Samuel 15:23)
Learn also from this incidence that you cannot cheat God or His prophets or apportion the responsibility for your disobedience like Saul for he tried to cheat Samuel by saying he had killed all the Amalekites and blaming the people for taking the sheep and oxen. (1 Samuel 15:20-21)
The story of Adam and Eve also teaches us that we cannot escape the penalties for our disobedience by blaming others the way Adam blamed Eve for eating the fruit and Eve blamed the serpent.
Learn also from King Saul that you should not let fear of what people will say or public opinion stop you from doing what God has told you to do for he used these as his excuses for disobeying God when he told Samuel, "I feared the people and obeyed their voice." (1 Samuel 15:20-21)
So if God has asked you to give some money or something else to a certain person or Christian ministry, obey Him.
Obey Him even if you do not even have enough money for yourself.
If you are having trouble obeying Him because of your limited resources believe that just as He was able to provide the little that you have, He is also able to provide you with more once you release it to Him since He is Jehovah Jireh. (Genesis 22:14)
Coincidentally, this name of God Jehovah Jireh which means The Lord Will Provides originated from the place where God provided Abraham with a ram to sacrifice instead of his son Isaac.
Click on the link to learn more about The Meaning of Jehovah Jireh.
Click on the link to read how Isaac reaped the Blessings of Obedience.
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