Come to the Altar
It's Sunday. All week we've talked about what obedience costs. Today, we stop talking about it and do something about it.
Picture Abraham on Mount Moriah. He gathered the wood. He built the altar with his own hands. Then he laid on it the thing he loved most, the son God had promised him.
Abraham didn't know how God would work it out. He only knew that God was worth more than the gift.
That's what an altar is. It's the place where we stop holding something and start trusting Someone.
Name It
So let's be honest before the Lord. Every one of us has an Isaac. It may not be a person. It may be a plan, a dream, a relationship, a reputation, or the right to run your own life.
Ask yourself a few hard questions. What did God put His finger on this week? Where did I say, "Yes, Lord, but not that"? What am I afraid He'll ask me to give up? What would I do if I trusted Him completely?
Don't rush past this. Get quiet and let the Holy Spirit show you the one thing. Then name it.
Lay It Down
When you know what it is, pray this from your heart:
"Father, I've been holding this tightly, and You know I have. I've been afraid that if I give it to You, I'll lose it. But You gave Your Son for me, and I know You are good. So right now I lay it on the altar. I lay down my plans, my control, and my need to know how it turns out. Not my will, but Yours be done. If You give it back, I'll hold it with open hands. If You don't, You are still enough. I trust You. In Jesus' name, amen."
Receive
Here's the part we forget. Abraham didn't walk down that mountain empty-handed. God provided.
"And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen." (Genesis 22:14)
You never lose anything by putting it in God's hands. What you lay on the altar, He either gives back better or replaces with Himself. Either way, you walk away with more than you came with.
God doesn't take from you to leave you empty. He takes from you to fill you with Himself.
Rise and Walk
Tomorrow morning, take one step that proves you meant it. Make the call. Close the tab. Have the talk. Say the yes you've been putting off. Obedience isn't finished at the altar. It starts there.
Bring someone with you. Today, send tomorrow's new series to one friend and say, "Walk through this with me this week."
Coming Monday
Tomorrow we start a new FORMED series called More Than This. A lot of us are saved, but stuck. We know about God, but we're living at the ankles while He's calling us into the deep.
If you've ever thought, "There has to be more than this," you're right. There is. Come ready to leave the shoreline.
Prayer
Jesus, You laid down Your life for me. Help me walk down this mountain trusting You with what I left on the altar. Give me courage for tomorrow's step of obedience. In Jesus' name, amen.
Reflection
- What is the one thing I've been holding back from God, and am I willing to lay it on the altar today?