A devotional by Tessa Huckstep
“And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”—Genesis 22:18 (KJV)
Has God ever asked you to let go of something that was important to you?
Maybe it was a job, a relationship, or a hobby. Often these things are not bad things or sinful.
Usually, God asks us to let go of good things that have become too important to us. When we put our entire identity in something that is not God, He is not willing to allow us to continue further down the path of self-destruction. He does not want us to place our identity in something that can change or something we will undoubtedly lose. God wants you to find your identity in Him because He is the only constant, unchanging One in this world full of changes!
When I consider God asking us to let go of something important to us, I immediately think of the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. Abraham waited years to have a son and eventually, God gave him and Sarah a son—Isaac.
I believe that as the years passed, Isaac became too important to Abraham. It may have been that Abraham placed his own son in the place of God. His relationship with his son was not bad, but God wanted something better for Abraham. I think that if Abraham learned to love God better, He could learn to love Isaac better and live his life even more blessed than he currently was. But that would not happen so long as Isaac was in God’s place.
God told Abraham to sacrifice his son on an altar. Abraham obeyed and gathered the wood and took Isaac up to a mountain. Abraham was completely willing to obey God, knowing God was in control. Before Abraham sacrificed his only son, an angel appeared before him and stopped him.
Let’s read what happened at that moment in Genesis 22:11-18 (ESV) which says: But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
Abraham let go of what God asked him to and everything worked out.
But what happens when no angel comes? I used to think that whenever God asked me to let go of something important to me that everything would work out perfectly—and soon. But my timing is not God’s timing. Yes, sometimes God sends angels and grand miracles when we decide to follow His will. However, He most often works through your heart. Unfortunately, a changing heart is not a completely obvious and dramatic change.
Not every season is a season of harvest, dear reader. Some seasons are seasons of letting go. They are barren seasons where you are not able plant or anticipate growth. Seasons of letting go are the seasons of winter that the soul must endure. But it is through the winter seasons that we rest and gain strength. Rest and strength may not be something we can see or measure, but how else could we endure demands and pressures of the planting and harvest seasons in our lives?
Do you feel as if God is not intervening, and you don’t see His hand in your life? Please remember, dear reader, that you are simply going through a season of letting go. Seasons do not last forever. But each and every season has a purpose. God is preparing you through this season of your life. Just because you cannot see His work, do not doubt He is molding your heart and working miracles behind the scenes. Let go of what He has asked you to and have the faith to patiently wait and believe that He is working all things out for your good.
Let’s pray: Dear Lord, thank You for these seasons of letting go. We know that You are in each and every situation we face. Help us to always keep You first in our lives. Work in our hearts and mold us to Your will. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.
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Note from Alexis: Tessa's devotional message today reminds me of the song "I'll Trust You" by Donnie McClurkin. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Tessa Huckstep grew up in rural Illinois to Christian parents and has known Jesus personally since the age of five.
She is currently attending community college and majoring in elementary education. In the future, she plans to teach in the public school, hoping to bring the love of God with her.
God’s dream of Tessa becoming a writer was revealed to her at the age of sixteen and she hasn’t been able to stop since. Though she has not yet been published, Tessa enjoys writing historical romance novels and speculative fiction.
Tessa believes God loves stories, and through her writing, she wants to reveal the happily ever after God dreams of for each of his daughters—one where Jesus is the knight in shining armor.
Tessa loves all things Georgian/Regency, needlework, and dainty teacups of every size. When she isn’t writing or studying for exams, Tessa can be found in the kitchen with more flour in her hair and on the floor than in the mixing bowl, though the mess is always half the fun!
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Connect with Tessa:
Blog: https://beautifulbeloved937002841.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beloved.bookworm/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/101227159
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