Invitation and Preparation
O God, make speed to save us
O Lord, make haste to help us
(Silence)
Let us pray:
Blessed are you, sovereign Lord, God of our ancestors: to you be praise and glory for ever. You called the patriarchs to live by the light of faith and to journey in the hope of your promised fulfillment. May we be obedient to your call and be ready and watchful to receive your Christ, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are our light and our salvation. Amen.
Listen and Receive
And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
Genesis 22:15-18
May the Word of God rest gently on our hearts, that when our hearts break the Word of God may flow in.
(Silence)
Reflect and Respond
God has given Abraham a miraculous son, the answer to all of Abraham’s prayers and the fulfillment of all of God’s promises, and now God calls Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. With faith in God’s promise, Abraham obediently brings Isaac to the mountain where he prepares to make this unfathomable sacrifice, but the angel of the Lord stays his hand at the last moment and shows Abraham the ram for the sacrifice that God provided. Abraham walks in faith and so enters into the blessing that God has prepared.
While there are many aspects of this story that are foreign to our culture and in fact beyond our imagination, God still invites us to walk in faith even when it seems impossible, God still provides even when it seems hopeless, and we still walk in the blessing that God has prepared when we let Him guide our feet.
I wonder, in what way might God be inviting you to be obedient to His call, to step out in faith, to offer up something that you hold precious? In what way might God be inviting you to walk into the blessing that He has already prepared for you?
Blessed and Sent
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
In this season of light, may your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
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