365 Days with God - Day 24: When God is out of control

I'm giving myself a challenge. Read the Bible each day for a whole year, following the ESV Study Guide 1-year plan. Each day, I will post whatever God has revealed to me in His Word, and how it is changing me. A friend of mine once said that nothing has changed her life as much as reading the bible each day - and I'm excited for how this will change me. Join me on an adventure into the heart of God - and day by day, we can learn more about who He is and what that means to us!

- Andy Catts

Day 24, January 13, 2014

Readings: Psalm 23, Genesis 22, 1 Chronicles 27, Luke 15

 I think we've all had that moment. The moment when, consciously or unconsciously, we wrest control from God. We say, "No thanks, I've got it from here. Your plan is too crazy/timid/slow/fast/wrong/impossible to possibly be right." And so we go our own way. For me, this can happen frequently. It may not be quite this obvious. But there are definitely times when I can't understand, and I really just don't want to.

God knows this.

And I think He puts us in this place to remind us of two things: Either:
How much He's got things under control, despite what we think;
Or, how our efforts to do things our way will just end up...disastrous.

And I guarantee you, you can't top God you are out of control what are you doing this is CRAZY like Abraham experienced.

God didn't just ask Abraham to go to another country and be a missionary. He didn't ask him to give up all his possessions and give to the poor. He didn't make him a paraplegic or let his family be taken away his family in an accident. No, God asked more.

God asked Abraham for his son. And not in a way that Abraham couldn't say no. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son. His miracle son. His son that God had given him when it was impossible. If I think God is out of control in my life, I have nothing on what Abraham must have been thinking when God asked him to give up Isaac. Abraham must have been roiling in his mind. But he merely arose the next morning, saddled his donkey, and went on his way, to do the will of God.

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" (Genesis 22:6-7)

I think Abraham must have been asking this very same question, in the very same way, to his heavenly Father. "God, where is the burnt offering? Why my son? He is innocent, and the only one I have. Why must it be this way?" But to Isaac, Abraham replies:

Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went, both of them together." (Genesis 22:8)

Abraham trusts God implicitly. He doesn't understand. He doesn't know that God will provide the lamb. He doesn't know that God will go through this very same pain, but instead of providing a lamb that will stand in place of His son, God's own son, His only son, Jesus, will be the sacrifice. Will atone for the sins of the world.

When God asks something of me, I must remember that He is sovereign. He alone controls heaven and earth, and all that is within it. Even if it's crazy. Even if I don't understand. Even if it seems like He is out of control. He knows exactly what He's doing. And He will provide.