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Every time, Always!

                When he was 75 years old, Abraham took a huge leap of faith.  He left his home and all that he was familiar with to follow a promise.  God had said that he had a new home waiting and that, once he was there, Abraham’s family would become a great nation and bless the entire world (Genesis 12:1-3).
                Almost 25 years later, Abraham was still waiting for the promise to be fulfilled.  Then, one day, some visitors came and announced that a baby was finally on its way.  When Abraham’s wife, Sarah, heard this, she laughed and said, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” (Genesis 18:12).  A year later, Isaac was born.
                If the story ended there, it would wonderful!  A faithful couple listens, obeys, waits and is blessed.  That is a good sermon!  However, as you likely know, that is not the end.
                Approximately 15 years later, to test Abraham, God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love and go to the region of Moriah.  Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:2).  Unbelievably, Abraham gathers the wood and sets off on a three-day journey to do what the Lord asked of him.
                How can this be?   How could he have waited so long for this son and then consider killing him?  How would the original promise be fulfilled if his son was dead?   This does not make any sense!  Why would he go through with this when it seemed so crazy?
                Abraham believed one essential thing: “God… will provide!” (Genesis 22:8).
                That was it!  He did not know how the story would end, but he believed it would end well, because God would provide.  This is the same belief that caused him to leave his homeland and the same belief that allowed him to wait until he was 100 years old before the promise of a son came true.  He believed that if God promised it, then he would somehow provide the answer. 
                I wish I always had that confidence.  Ask me if I think God can do anything and I will say “yes”.  Ask me if I believe that he will do it and I am a little more hesitant.  “Can he?” and “Will he?” are two completely different questions that require completely different levels of faith.
                In the end, of course, God did provide (Genesis 22:9-14).  Isaac was spared and Abraham saw the promises come true.         
   The path God chooses for us may not be the one that we would choose for ourselves, but never doubt that God is good and that he wants the best for you.  Every time and always!

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