Devotional: Faith is Ready

Today’s example of faith is something that has been examined by philosophers, portrayed by artists, and revered by theologians throughout history. Abraham is asked by God to sacrifice his only son. We can hardly fathom what it must have been like to be asked such a thing, much less to be read to go through with it. But that’s the amazing thing about Abraham’s faith in this story–he was ready to obey what God asked, and ready to offer his very best.

Questions for Meditation

1. Because of his faith in the promise of God, Abraham was ready to obey God through his sacrifice. What are some times in Abraham’s life when he wasn’t ready to obey God? Why was he ready now?
2. What does the growth in Abraham’s readiness teach us about our own faith?
3. How can we test whether we are ready to obey God in our own lives?
4. When faith is ready to offer, it means that because we can hold onto God, we should hold everything else loosely. What is something, perhaps in the past or present, that you have held onto that the Lord is asking to let go of?
5. What happens when we allow our own preferences to die and we obey and offer in order to align with God’s will?