Gen. 22:9-12 They arrived at the place to which God had directed him. Abraham built an altar. He laid out the wood. Then he tied up Isaac and laid him on the wood. Abraham reached out and took the knife to kill his son. Just then an angel of God called to him out of Heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!” "Yes, I'm listening." "Don't lay a hand on that boy! Don't touch him! Now I know how fearlessly you fear God; you didn't hesitate to place your son, your dear son, on the altar for me." (MSG)
Is your all on the Altar?
Words & Music: Elisha A. Hoffman, circa 1905
You have longed for sweet peace,
And for faith to increase
And have earnestly, fervently prayed;
But you cannot have rest,
Or be perfectly blest,
Until all is on the altar is laid.
Refrain
Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit Control?
You can only be blest,
And have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.
On Sunday in church I heard this song, and for some reason it struck a chord with me. No, this is not the entire song, only the first two stanzas, but it is so apropos for this time. It states the main point we should consider. It states clearly why things we asked for are not happening for us. In the accompany verses chosen, it represent all on the altar. God called Abraham to sacrifice the promised seed born by God divine intervention intentional touch. Isaac was borne to Sarah and Abraham in their latter days, when biologically it would seem impossibility; God is not hindered or confined to conventional wisdom or theories. So, when Abraham is instructed to sacrifice his son, the very thing that embodied the promise of God. This is symbolic of Abraham’s all on the altar. He intrinsically knew, for his faith to increase, prayers to be answer, and to have rest for his weary soul; he had to put all on the altar. Now, we speak of him as the father of faith because he laid all on the altar. We see God favored in Abraham’s life, yes, but Abraham favored God’s will, instruction, directive, commands, and promise over anything he could see. For you see, Abraham did not start on this journey at this moment, it began when he left the comfort, the wealth, the many gods, the family, and the familiar to seek the one God’s voice…is your all on the altar?
So, the next time you wonder why your blessings have not increase or appeared, your faith seems to be at a standstill, your earnest prayers reveal nothing and no change occurs, and peace is a long-distance illusive cousin you can reacquaint yourself. Ask yourself, is your all laid on the altar? Everyone wants to dance like David danced, have favor like Joseph, faith like Abraham, and transformative moment that change his focus like Paul. The thing you must decide is how bad do you want, how much are you willing to give up to get it, and are you ready for the journey that will only supply what you need, when you needed, no more…Is your all on the altar is truly a revelational song that puts all in perspective, and convicted hearts in alignment.
Is your all on the Altar?
Words & Music: Elisha A. Hoffman, circa 1905
You have longed for sweet peace,
And for faith to increase
And have earnestly, fervently prayed;
But you cannot have rest,
Or be perfectly blest,
Until all is on the altar is laid.
Refrain
Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit Control?
You can only be blest,
And have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.
On Sunday in church I heard this song, and for some reason it struck a chord with me. No, this is not the entire song, only the first two stanzas, but it is so apropos for this time. It states the main point we should consider. It states clearly why things we asked for are not happening for us. In the accompany verses chosen, it represent all on the altar. God called Abraham to sacrifice the promised seed born by God divine intervention intentional touch. Isaac was borne to Sarah and Abraham in their latter days, when biologically it would seem impossibility; God is not hindered or confined to conventional wisdom or theories. So, when Abraham is instructed to sacrifice his son, the very thing that embodied the promise of God. This is symbolic of Abraham’s all on the altar. He intrinsically knew, for his faith to increase, prayers to be answer, and to have rest for his weary soul; he had to put all on the altar. Now, we speak of him as the father of faith because he laid all on the altar. We see God favored in Abraham’s life, yes, but Abraham favored God’s will, instruction, directive, commands, and promise over anything he could see. For you see, Abraham did not start on this journey at this moment, it began when he left the comfort, the wealth, the many gods, the family, and the familiar to seek the one God’s voice…is your all on the altar?
So, the next time you wonder why your blessings have not increase or appeared, your faith seems to be at a standstill, your earnest prayers reveal nothing and no change occurs, and peace is a long-distance illusive cousin you can reacquaint yourself. Ask yourself, is your all laid on the altar? Everyone wants to dance like David danced, have favor like Joseph, faith like Abraham, and transformative moment that change his focus like Paul. The thing you must decide is how bad do you want, how much are you willing to give up to get it, and are you ready for the journey that will only supply what you need, when you needed, no more…Is your all on the altar is truly a revelational song that puts all in perspective, and convicted hearts in alignment.
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