Daily Devotional

⁷ Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

Genesis 22:7-8

These verses tell of a time of great trial that Abraham went through with his son Isaac. It's a well-known story in which God tests Abraham's faith by asking him to sacrifice his beloved son. It was certainly an unparalleled test, but it was only a test because, of course, God didn't want the boy to die.

Abraham proved that he had faith and obeyed the Lord in everything. He knew that God, who had given him the promised son, was faithful and would, if necessary, resurrect the boy or provide the lamb for the sacrifice.

And so it happened! This story is the one place in the bible where the name for God is 'Jehovah Jireh' (Verse 14) ''The Lord my Provider! And in your life too, He will provide!

Like this story, sometimes our faith is tested. And even if we don't understand the circumstances, we need to trust in the Lord, because through the struggles we face, we learn to depend on Him more. Employment, health care, material resources, what to wear, etc. are all important needs, but seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:31-33). Place your faith completely in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because He will supply all your needs, in Christ, for His glory!

By faith, God will provide!

• Trust God completely! He is faithful and fulfills His Word.
• Pray and place your whole life in the Lord's care.
• God will provide what you need. This is not always compatible with what you want Him to do.
• Rest in God's provision, but work and take advantage of the opportunities he places in front of you.
• Seek constant guidance in God's Word. He provides the wisdom you need to make the right decisions.

Pray:

Lord God, I want to thank you because you, Lord, have taken care of me. Even with difficulties, I believe that you are in control of my life. Provide what I really need, not what I want. Help my family, your church, my brothers and sisters in Christ and my friends in their daily needs. Bless our country and provide for the needs of our people, Lord! Give me wisdom to manage well the resources you give me. Open doors, Father, and do Your will in me. In Jesus' name! Amen.

God created us and loved us from the beginning. Before we realized who we were, we were already loved by him. God's love has no physical or spiritual barriers, he has loved us forever!

When we know that we are loved by God - and recognize the proof of love embodied in Jesus - our lives take on a new perspective. We are hit by a wave of gratitude. Then we think: what have we done to receive so much love? If we look for a reason to justify ourselves, we won't find one. God chose to love us because he is God!

We have received his love freely and we must reciprocate it in the same way. Love God unconditionally. Return God's love by loving him. This "two-way street" is called a relationship. To love and be loved, that's the relationship God wants from us.

Here's how to repay God's love:

• Loving God (1 Chronicles 16:34 and Deuteronomy 6:5)
• Loving our neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40 and 1 John 4:19-21)
• Obeying His Word (John 14:15 & John 14:21)
• Sharing this love (Matthew 28:19-20 & Mark 16:15)
• Try loving God in all these ways, abide in His love! He loves you and wants to be by your side at all times.

Pray:

Lord, how good it is to be loved by you! Your grace has reached me and I can only thank you for this sublime love. Thank you Father, amen!