Here is a devotion to start your day!
A spoken version of this devotion is available through the Still, Here audio reflections podcast.
Scripture: Genesis 22:1–14
After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”
Reflection
The story of Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah is one of the most unsettling in Scripture. The God who promised a son now commands Abraham to offer that very son as a sacrifice. Everything in us recoils. This is the child of promise, the long-awaited joy. How can God ask for this?
The text is sparse, but Abraham’s response is clear: “Here I am.” He says it to God, to Isaac, and again to God’s angel. It is the posture of availability, even when his heart must be breaking. He climbs the mountain, builds the altar, and raises the knife, trusting—somehow—that God will still be faithful.
At the last moment, God stops him. The test is not about God’s cruelty but Abraham’s trust. A ram is provided, and Isaac is spared. Abraham discovers a new name for God: Yahweh Yireh—“Yahweh will provide.”
Surrender does not always mean losing what we love. Sometimes it means loosening our grip—placing even our most treasured gifts back into God’s hands and trusting His character more than our understanding. The knife never falls, but the heart still yields.
Love in the wilderness asks: Will you trust Me with what you treasure most, believing I am not out to harm you but to reveal Myself as your true Provider?
A Prayer of Presence
God who provides,
You see the deepest loves of my heart. Teach me to hold every gift with open hands. Even when I do not understand, let my “Here I am” rest on trust in Your goodness. – Amen
Practice for Today
Name one “Isaac” in your life—a gift, relationship, dream, or role you fear losing. In prayer, picture placing it on the altar before God, asking Him to guard, guide, and direct it as He knows best.
Consider This...
What do I fear would happen if I truly surrendered my most cherished “Isaacs” to God?
Carry This Prayer With You
Breathe in: I trust You...
Breathe out: ... with what I love
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