In the crossroads between faith and will, i read this from Ozzy today which strikes me:
The great lesson to be learned from Abraham’s faith in God is that he was prepared to do anything for God. He was there to obey God, no matter what contrary belief of his might be violated by his obedience. Abraham was not devoted to his own convictions or else he would have slain Isaac and said that the voice of the angel was actually the voice of the devil. That is the attitude of a fanatic. If you will remain true to God, God will lead you directly through every barrier and right into the inner chamber of the knowledge of Himself.
Remaining true. From my vantage point, some thousands of years past Abraham, it’s easy to think that Abraham had it “easy”. I’m sure I completely don’t fully grasp his situation. He was so true to God, he picked up the knife and yet was able to hear the voice of God calling him to stop.
I often feel in similar (yet not nearly so drastic) situations. Where God calls me to do something. Even if as so simple as to drive a different road to somewhere. In my quest to find out why God asked me such, I hear Him say, “just wanted to know if you were listening.”
I’ve found that during this month of near silence in writing, I have often chosen my own path. Nothing major or drastic there either. But, that slight edge away from God can be all it takes. Even in the “good” things that have been accomplished this past month, I have often chosen my own path and solutions to the issues.
That remaining true is hard.
Ozzy closes his thoughts with this which I hope to attain to:
But you must always be willing to come to the point of giving up your own convictions and traditional beliefs. Don’t ask God to test you. Never declare as Peter did that you are willing to do anything, even “to go . . . both to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). Abraham did not make any such statement— he simply remained true to God, and God purified his faith.
