‘Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you.’ Genesis 22:16–17 NKJV
God said to Abraham, ‘Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.’ Isaac was the lifelong dream of a barren woman named Sarah and her husband Abraham. But the more God blesses you, the harder it is to keep that blessing from becoming an idol in your life. Money may be the best example. The more you make, the harder it is to trust Almighty God and the easier it is to trust the almighty dollar. It’s ironic that ‘In God we trust’ is printed on US currency—because money is the thing so many of us find it most difficult to trust God with.
If you’re financially blessed, it’s a gift from God (see Deuteronomy 8:18). But God doesn’t financially bless us so that we can use it selfishly. He blesses us more, so we can be more of a blessing to others (see Genesis 12:2). The truth is, what you’re willing to walk away from determines what God is willing to entrust to you. He wants you to come to the place where you find your identity in Who you belong to, rather than in who you are. You can base your identity on a thousand things—the degrees you’ve earned, the positions you hold, the salary you make, etc. But if you base your identity on anything temporal, your identity is in a house of cards. There’s only one solid foundation: Jesus Christ. So, what’s getting between you and God? What feeds your ego? Where do you find your security outside of Christ? That’s what you need to put on the altar today.
SoulFood: Obad, Mal 1–4, Mk 9:30–37, Ps 18:1–29, Prov 12: 23–24
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024
