How to Receive the Blessing of 'The LORD Will Provide'
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May 23, 2010 |
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 "He said, 'Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.' Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, 'In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.'" (Genesis 22:12-14)
In 22nd chapter of the book of Genesis is a scene where Abraham was going to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering and God returned him to Abraham. Abraham received the blessing of 'The LORD Will Provide', which means 'God will provide something necessary in advance.'
By pleasing God by faith, Abraham not only met and experienced the God who provides for us in advance but was called the 'father of faith' and the 'friend of God.' What should we do to receive the blessing of 'the LORD Will Provide' like Abraham?
1. You should count the Word of God as the first.
Abraham loved God first of all, and counted His Word as the first, so that he obeyed the command of God and immediately departed from his house. In Genesis 12, when God commanded him to "Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you," Abraham immediately obeyed. Though he didn't know where to go and what to do, he believed that God would walk with him and provide everything necessary, and counted His Word as the first of all. In the same way, when we count the Word of God as the first of all, and obey whatever will of God He tells us, we can experience powerful works of God who provides for us in advance and causes everything to work for the good for us.
2. We should say only "Amen"
Hebrews 11:17-19 reads, "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son it was he to whom it was said, 'In Isaac your descendants shall be called.' He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type."
Since Abraham possessed perfect faith through fiery trials of faith, when he was given the test to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering, he obeyed without any hesitation or getting involved in any fleshly thought. As he completely believed God would be able to raise his son again from the dead, he could obey the Word of God, saying "Amen."
God prepared a ram for Abraham whose faith was to obey any command of God, and let him offer it as a burnt offering instead of Isaac. Abraham called the land 'The LORD Will Provide.' By the same token, when we have obedient faith and a heart after God, the blessing God has prepared will come upon us.
3. We should seek peace and holiness.
Abraham's blessing increased and his possessions abounded until he couldn't dwell with his nephew Lot any longer. Though he was senior to Lot, he gave the first choice to his nephew to seek peace with him (Genesis 13:8-12). The reason that Abraham sacrificed himself and gave the good choice to the other was because he possessed spiritual love and never sought his own benefits.
When Lot was taken away by the ally of a few kings, Abraham brought 318 strong men trained at his house, and rescued Lot and restored all the things that had been taken away. After the fight ended, Abraham didn't take any of the loots and let the kings take them, and offered God the things that belonged to God.
Just as written in Hebrews 12:14, "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord," when we live at pace with everyone in sanctification, we can receive the blessing of 'The LORD Will Provide.'
4. We should believe in the power of God the Creator.
God has limitless power, so when we show the deed of obedience to please God, He prepares in advance for whatever we need and pays back us with blessings. To receive the blessing of God's preparation, we should believe in the power of God the Creator with whom there is nothing impossible. When he was told to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering, he obeyed with faith because he believed God would be able to raise him from the dead.
What would you do if God commands you to offer your only son as a burnt offering? If you really believe there is nothing impossible with God, you can obey even whatever doesn't agree with your thoughts.
As written in 2 Corinthians 10:5, we have to destroy speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. The Word of God is different from our thoughts. If you demolish those fleshly thoughts and believe that God creates something out of nothingness, you can obey and keep the Word of God and receive the blessing of 'God Will Provide.'
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
May you possess the heart to obey every Word of God only with 'Amen' like Abraham, seek to be at pace with everyone in sanctification and believe in the almighty power of God that makes everything possible so that you can receive the blessing of 'The LORD Will Provide', in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I pray!
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