Can I lay My Isaac Down?

I want us to think of the one thing we hold more dear to our hearts than anything else in this world. Is that one thing our husbands, our children,our house or some other material possession? What If God asked us to give that very thing up to Him? Would be able to lay it all down at His feet with a willing heart or would we fight God for it?

Abraham's Story

Most of us are familiar with Abraham’s story of Isaac. Here we have a man who had been promised this son and it wasn’t until he was 100 years old that he saw this long awaited promise finally come to pass. Now, all of the sudden God was asking Abraham to give up the very thing he had waited his entire lifetime to get, something he treasured probably more than his own life.

The faith that Abraham possessed was wrapped up in the fact that God was going to stay true to his promise. God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4), that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars in the sky and the sand on the shore (Genesis 15:5 & Genesis 22:17). In remembering this promise Abraham could walk forward in faith knowing that Isaac's life would not end before this promise would come to pass. God would and always will stay faithful to His promises. To read God’s covenant with Abraham go to Genesis 15:1-21.

Am I able to lay down my most prized and cherished thing, my Isaac? Am I able to trust God enough that when I am asked to give up my Isaac that God is going to stay true to His promises? These are some tough questions to consider and I find it difficult to even begin to imagine putting myself in Abraham’s shoes. I’m sure some of you can relate to the hesitancy I have in my own mind about this whole area.

My Husband's Story
My husband shared with me how God had brought him to a place where he could lay down his Isaac. He shared how he was able to relate on so many levels to Abraham when I faced life and death from my stroke. God brought my husband to a place where he was no longer afraid of giving up his most precious belongings for the sake of Jesus Christ. My stroke was such a blessing in the fact that it caused him to rely more on his God then on the temporal things of this life. My husband’s faith grew through that season of our lives. So just like Abraham, my husband came to a place of being able to lay down his “Isaac” and trust that God knew better than he did.

My Story
I had an interesting moment that helped me to see a slight glimpse into whether or not I could lay my own Isaac down.  My husband being the forward thinker that he is, decided it would be a good idea to get the insurance plan on my engagement ring. This means that every six months I have to take my ring to the jewelers and for an inspection. As long as I do this the insurance stays valid and we do not have to pay extra for the cost of any repairs, even if I would lose a diamond out of it. Thank goodness for this because I have had  my ring fixed several times over the years. One of these particular times that I had it repaired, I went to pick it up. I took one look at it and stated “This isn’t my ring.” The woman behind the counter became flustered and assured me she would track down my ring. My husband and I walked out of the store and talked about the situation that had just transpired right in front of us. The conclusion we had come to was that it is only a piece of metal and a rock, a material thing. Not having the ring did not erase the precious memories I have associated with it. It just meant I did not have the tangible evidence on my finger that is linked with those memories.

Ever since that whole experience I have looked at everything I own in a very different light. All that I possess is simply temporal. I could lose all of it tomorrow. Am I putting my trust in the Lord that He will carry out His promises in my life, or am I clinging to my Isaac and not being willing to let go? For those of you who are still wondering at this point if I ever get my ring back, yes I did. The diligent woman at the jewelry store tracked down my ring very quickly and it was back on my finger in no time. Now, I realize that there is no comparison between laying down a ring and laying down the life of your child or family member, but sometimes the Lord works on our hearts in steps rather than taking us to the altar to lay it all down all at one time, and other times He asks for it all. This just happened to be one of those “small steps” times for me.

The Lord's Story
When the Lord asks us to lay down our Isaac down, please keep in mind that He is not asking us to do anything He has not already done Himself in this department. God laid His one and one and only Isaac down for our sake. His name is Jesus Christ. So, the next time the Lord is knocking at the door of our hearts and asking us to give up something we hold dear, remember that He has already done that too.

Lord, I thank you that you have our best interests at heart. I thank you that you desire us to lay our Isaac down, not to make us suffer, but make us more like you each and every day. You laid down your Isaac in the form of Jesus Christ. Thank you for setting the ultimate example of what it looks like to lay down our Isaac. We are so grateful that you laid Him down for us, because without Him we would never have the promise of eternal life. Thank Lord for all you have done for us.  

To read more related posts visit: Facing Our Giants and The Faithfulness Of God