When God Asks Us To Sacrifice
I have had encounters with a few people who have lost their jobs due to the economic crisis. Or, they have sacrificed their jobs due to other commitments and to move into a different relationship with God.
What a Testimony!
One of my friends gave up both a full-time and a side-line job for a number of reasons. But the most important reason was that this person was led by God to give up this rat race so that there can be more focus on fulfilling His plan rather than their own plans.
At first it was relieving to not be on a constant go, but eventually the bills started piling up.
This friend shared with me a testimony that really showed the grace of God. It demonstrates the fact that when we obey God no matter what – He will surely take care of our concerns.
With money running out and having bills to pay and ministry to be a part of, God literally started placing people in the pathway to bless and to give. God also used the talent that He blessed this person with to gain jobs intermittently.
Sacrifice and Trust
The one thing that stood out in this situation is that the trust that my friend showed in God over his needs. This trust caused God to open heaven and pour out the blessings. The testimony shared was that a higher level of trust is being placed on God to meet the needs.
It’s also a validation of the fact that the person had heard God correctly. Many folks would have made a point to tell this person that giving up a job in this economic climate is a huge mistake.
You know in Genesis 22, when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac (which by the way was a blessing from God), I am sure although there is no record in the Bible, it would have hurt this father to sacrifice the one blessing he really would not have wanted to sacrifice.
But Abraham obeyed God, knowing and remembering how much God had previously done for Him. In verse 8, he made a profound statement to his son when Isaac asked where the sacrifice was.
Abraham believed that God would provide and said “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son……….”
When God Leads You, He Provides
If God asked us to do anything that we know we could handle and feel comfortable doing, then we wouldn’t need Him. We wouldn’t depend on Him for guidance because we would have everything under control and it could be accomplished in our own strength.
So God, in His wisdom, often asks us to trust in Him for things that, to our normal minds, are unbelievable and impossible. When God asks us to sacrifice, it will make us uncomfortable. He does it so we can trust in Him more, lean on Him more and rely on Him more.
Has God asked of you something that makes you awfully uncomfortable? If so, really it’s because He wants you to trust in Him more. He wants you to have faith that in Him you can do what He has asked you to do.
When God asks you to sacrifice, He wants you to be confident that in your obedience He will work out everything. Keep trusting Him today, Amen.
A Prayer When God Asks You To Sacrifice
Heavenly Father, in the quiet moments of my life, You whisper to me, asking me to trust You, to lay down my Isaac, to offer up on the altar the very blessings I’ve cherished and held dear.
Today, I come before You with an open heart, willing to sacrifice, just as Abraham did on Mount Moriah, demonstrating his unwavering faith in You (Genesis 22:1-18).
Lord, I acknowledge that every good gift comes from You, and sometimes, You ask me to let go, not to harm me, but to draw me closer to You, to refine me like gold, and to teach me to rely solely on Your provision and love.
In these moments of sacrifice, remind me of Jesus, who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
May His ultimate sacrifice inspire me to give freely, love openly, and hold loosely to the things of this world.
Give me the strength to trust in Your plans, knowing that Your ways are higher than my ways and Your thoughts higher than my thoughts.
In moments of fear and uncertainty, remind me of Your promise that You will never leave me nor forsake me.
Help me to understand that in letting go, I am not showing weakness but strength in faith, believing that what You have in store for me is far greater than anything I could imagine.
In moments of sacrifice, may I remember that I am not alone. The Holy Spirit, my Comforter and Guide, empowers me, giving me the courage to say, “Not my will, but Yours be done”.
And in my surrender, may I discover the depth, the width, the height, and the breadth of Your endless love for me.
Thank You, Father, for the assurance that when I sacrifice in obedience to You, You open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings I cannot contain. May my faith be strengthened, my heart be filled with peace, and my life reflect Your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.