Living in the Spirit
June 24, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Genesis 22:1-14 

Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’ And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt-offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’  —Genesis 22:10-14

It was one of those God coincidences that the Sunday following the Oklahoma City bombing the choir where I attend church was scheduled to sing Leaning on the Ever Lasting Arms*. The death toll wasn’t even known by then. Bodies were still being pulled from the rubble.  The entire city was in shock and most were trying to do whatever they could because it was unthinkable to do nothing. God was indeed in the midst of the city (Psalm 46.5) even in chaos and horror.

God was on that mountain with Abraham and Isaac whatever was going on in Abraham’s heart and head; whatever purpose God intended for this pilgrimage up the mountain to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. I am an analytical person. I want all the facts. The truth is there are things that happen every day they defy understanding and God is there and God will provide.

We Christians talk a lot about what we believe. I understand from the notes in my Bible that translators use believe in many places when a verb form of the word “faith” would probably be more appropriate, but English does not have a verb form of the word “faith”.  I think that is the transition that happened in Abraham’s life in this mountaintop experience. He moved from believing to “faithing”. Such a move adds perspective to our living. Such a move recognizes that God will provide. It lifts a great burden from our shoulders and allows us to do the thing Jesus tells so to do no matter what: love.

Prayer: Lord, help all we who profess belief in You make faith an active verb describing our lives. Amen.

*Hymn by Elisha A. Hoffman

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.