You are the sacrifice

Gen. 22:6-8 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 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?”  Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. (NIV)

You are the sacrifice is a concept most do not want to wrap their heads around. The fact of the matter is there is always a sacrifice. However, many times we assume the thing being sacrifice, is the actual sacrifice. Not understanding this is just the manifestation or representation of the sacrifice. When the actual sacrifice is the person sacrificing. See, this illustrated with Abraham and Isaac, Abraham was really the sacrifice, not Isaac. Isaac represented the culmination of the promised destiny of Abraham by God. See man is not wired to sacrifice or give up on it all.  What they have worked for, waited on, and the fulfillment of a purpose; yet this is actually what God asks for from us. The willingness to put Isaac on the altar for the sacrifice is Abraham ego, vanity, pride, and his all. He knew, God said, destroy it, kill it, or give it up to me, but it was hard. Thus, this does not work for us, it does not read well when I have to do, but it reads excellent when we receive the benefit for it. When we asked to sacrifice something dear, precious to us, we are done. It stymies us, a resolute stalwart is erected, metaphorically and literally, and we refuse to participate in the process any longer. Yet, somehow Abraham knew, he had to let GOD know, I will no longer put anyone, anything before you, and I fear no longer stops me from being obedient. I done that and had to put an innocent, obedient woman out because I was not obedient; I am done. You are able to do exceeding and more abundantly than I can ask for in this life. So, if my son, my soul, or me, you require, here. But you Abraham willingness - I am shall take a literary license here - to submit and sacrifice, the ‘me’ ideology which goes something like this in his head - ‘really, God?’ ‘You are really asking me to do what’, I have lost one son, and now this. I cannot do it. I cannot go any further. Do you know what my wife will do to me?  Kill me, if I do not come back with this boy… But Abraham knew, he had to submit his dependence on his familial connection for affirmation of order, and said God will provide the lamb, what a foreshadowing of the future…Sometime we are the sacrifice, and accepting it, trusting God, and obeying the request is he!#!!. Yet, we will find God does rewards, blessings, those who diligently obey Him, even if it means us being the sacrifice. For our times, and for those coming after us; so the next time you are asked to sacrifice take an intense look at what is being requested of you, and asked yourself – what is being of me, and get the lesson. Paul did and lived with favor; the woman at the well did and her life change forever, and those in her village; Ruth did, and found blessings for her and her household, and the child with the fish and biscuit did it, – and received more…Being the sacrifice is scary, much work, and ain’t easy….I know, I have been the sacrifice and found it to be worth it...…wink