Genesis 22

God will provide

_{Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” ~ Genesis 22:14}

This is one of the most well-known accounts in Scripture and also one of the most difficult to read. Genesis 22 is one of the most challenging and powerful chapters in the Bible. Abraham is asked by God to do the unthinkable, to sacrifice his one and only son Isaac. After waiting so long for this promise to come to pass, Abraham is now being asked to give it back. Here is the really surprising part, without hesitation, Abraham obeys, and just as he raises the knife, God steps in and provides a ram in place of Isaac. Abraham’s faith and obedience are met with God’s provision.

I have to admit, when I first heard this story as a young person, it seemed like everyday stuff. God asked Abraham to do something, so he did it with no problem. There was no way my young mind could grasp the depth of faith it took for Abraham to walk out such an unthinkable request. There have been moments in my own life when I felt like God was asking me to give up something that meant everything to me. Once, I sensed Him leading me to step away from a role I loved deeply. I struggled with it for weeks, trying to hold on. I didn’t understand why God would give me something good only to ask for it back. When I did obey, letting go was painful, and it felt like a step backward. Yet, in the months that followed, God opened doors I never expected. What I thought was the end turned out to be a transition into something greater.

This chapter speaks directly to those who may not understand why God asks us to trust Him completely. Sometimes we are called to release something dear to us like a plan, a dream, a relationship, or even a good opportunity. It can feel confusing and costly. What we can now see from Abraham’s life is that God is not trying to take something from us. He is positioning us to see His faithfulness in a deeper way.

Abraham discovered that God is not just a promise maker, but also a provider. On the mountain of testing, he experienced the provision of God in a miraculous way. You can too.

Here are some ways to be faithful when God asks you to take a step of faith:

• Be honest with God. Let Him know your fears, questions, and concerns. He can handle them.
• Take the next obedient step. You may not see the full picture, but you can choose obedience one step at a time.
• Look for God’s provision in unexpected ways. The ram was already on the mountain, Abraham just had to walk up in obedience to see it.
• Remember His faithfulness in the past. Rehearse the times God has provided before. It will help you stay anchored.
• Give thanks even before the answer comes. Gratitude helps shift your heart toward trust.

Today I want to encourage you that if you are going through a time where God is asking you to trust Him in a difficult or unfamiliar way, remember that He is Yahweh-Yireh, your provider. He sees what you cannot, and He will meet you on the mountain of obedience with exactly what you need. Your faith will never be wasted. When God asks for your yes, He is always preparing something greater. Stay faithful, stay available, and expect His provision to show up right on time.

Today’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 22

1 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.

“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”

2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about.

4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.

5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”

6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together,

7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”

8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.

10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice.

11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”

12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son.

14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

15 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven.

16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that

17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.

18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”

19 Then they returned to the servants and traveled back to Beersheba, where Abraham continued to live.

20 Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah, his brother Nahor’s wife, had borne Nahor eight sons. 21 The oldest was named Uz, the next oldest was Buz, followed by Kemuel (the ancestor of the Arameans),

22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.

23 (Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) In addition to these eight sons from Milcah,

24 Nahor had four other children from his concubine Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

Journal:
• Is there something God is asking you to trust Him with or release to Him?
• What fear or hesitation are you struggling with in this area?
• Write a prayer asking God to help you obey even when it is hard, and to open your eyes to His provision along the way.