Now I know that you fear God, because you did not refuse to give me your son, your only son.
Genesis 22:12
God is the giver of every good and perfect thing, but what happens when that thing he’s given you is so good that you start to think it’s more important than anything else, even him? We humans have a tendency to give the gift the same kind of worship and honor meant for the giver.
Abraham never expected to have a kid. So when God gave him Isaac, it would have been easy for Abraham to fall deeply and even obsessively in love with his kid. And when God demanded that Abraham kill the one he adored, how easy it would have been to say, “No way, José!” But Abraham proved his faith in God when he refused to give in to his desire to protect the boy he loved so much and instead did what God asked him to do. Not many have felt this kind of agony of obedience as much as Abraham. But in the end that obedience would bring more glory than any agony could ever steal.
Obedience isn’t always comfortable; in fact, true obedience demands something of the obedient. It demands complete reliance on the wisdom, power, and love of the one who knows what is best, and it demands a ruthless determination to do whatever has to be done to prove that following is much better than rebelling.
If God isn’t demanding something of you, then you’re not listening, God Girl. What could you do right now out of obedience that would lead you closer to the God you love and deeper into the life of faith? To listen, turn the pages of his Word. Study his law and make his kindness part of your very essence. Love the unlovable, give to the needy, obey authority, offer forgiveness, turn the other cheek, humble yourself, and he will lift you up. Obey him today and find a reward far greater than you ever imagined could be yours. Nothing gives more to the life of a God Girl than obeying her Lord.