Unclear...

Unclear…

I don’t like the unclear. I like it plain as day. I don’t like surprises, I like knowing what is ahead, what to expect…and I like understanding the who, what, when, where, and why of it.

I’ve studied the eleventh chapter of Hebrews recently, and again looked at the portraits hanging in the ‘hall of faith’ we are shown there.

“By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.”(Hebrews 11:17-19)

There is a song I like to sing that calls on this event. The lyrics are ‘There he stood upon that hill, Abraham with knife in hand, was poised to kill….but God, in all Your sovereignty, had bigger plans, and just in time, You brought a lamb. Cause You were there, You were there, in the midst of the unclear. You were there, you were there….always. You were there when obedience seemed to not make sense. You were there. You were always there.”

I find it incredible that Abraham intended to obey at such great length. Killing a son who was promised, the son who would supposedly be the beginning of a great lineage..multitudes of heirs to be born in the future. It just didn’t make sense.

Abraham figured God would just over-rule a dead Isaac, and make him alive again. God could certainly do that…HAS done that.

The lyrics of that song haunt me and accuse me. In the midst of the unclear, am I obedient? When obedience doesn’t make sense, do I obey anyway?

Will my picture ever hang in a hall of faith?

I hope I don’t have to be tested to find out……

Follow...

Follow… Or would you rather lead, be in front, choose the direction…

I admit it. I like to lead. I like to pick the way to go. And I also admit that if I’m not leading, I’m prone to tell you how to get there too.

“Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the LORD promised on oath to your ancestors.” (Deut. 8:1)

I fully realize that these words were spoken to a nation of people concerning a literal, geographical piece of property…land. But I believe every word of scripture has a message for every person of every time. This morning, I hear Him saying once again…. ‘…follow Me Connie. Listen and remember what I have said so you can have a fuller and fuller life. Follow Me, don’t get ahead of Me. You will never be able to get there on your own….please, listen to Me, I know what I‘m talking about.”

Sigh…sometimes He just doesn’t go fast enough. Sometimes He picks a road with too many curves and bumps. And I complain and whine.

“Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands.” (verse 2)

So I’ve make another round in the wilderness, learning…and this morning, I want the ‘so that’ of verse 1.

So, I purpose in my heart once again to follow.

Even though it seems to me He is going waaaaay too slow….

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