MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL
Devotion for Friday April 24, 2020
Topic: Obey Even When It Hurts
Text: Genesis 22:1 – 14
Abraham
learnt many tough lessons about the importance of obeying God. Some of them
were when he was called out of Ur; when he went to Egypt, and when he had to
wait for Isaac’s birth. Initially, Abraham did not always show that he trusted
or believed God; but through each test, he saw God’s willingness and ability to
keep His promises.
That was
the reason God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:1-2) at an altar as
a burnt sacrifice. That is the greatest gift one can offer. God did not want
Isaac to die, but He wanted Abraham to
sacrifice Isaac in his heart so that he could learn to trust God completely
(see Hebrews 11:19). Imagine what Abraham must have felt as he walked with
Isaac up the mountain, each step being torturous and leading him painfully
closer to unspeakable grief agony. However Abraham obeyed, giving Isaac at his
own hurt and God honoured his faith.
Obeying God may often be a struggle because it
may mean giving up something that we truly want. We should not expect our obedience to God to be easy or to come
naturally. Just as fire refines ore to extract precious metals, God refines us
through difficult circumstances. Trust and Obey is the best way to be happy. In
what ways might God be testing your faith? Are
you willing to obey Him even when it will hurt you? Such obedience is what God
requires from us – Obedience at all cost.
Action: As
you go out today, be determined to obey God even when it hurts.
Memory verse: Hebrew 11:17
Prayer: 1. God,
grant me the grant me the grace to obey you in everything even when it hurts
because there is a reward at the end.
2. Pray
for my wife and I as we mark our 20th Wedding Anniversary today, April 24.
