God of Integrity

"On the third day Abraham looked up

and saw the place in the distance.

He said to his servants, 

'Stay here with the donkey while I 

and the boy go over there.

We will worship

and

we will come back to you.'"

Genesis 22:3-4

The future was uncertain.  Death loomed, throwing it's oppressive shadow on the happy troupe as they climbed to the spot the Lord had designated as their destination. The father was so proud of his son and loved him as only one who has waited for the special blessing of parenthood can understand.  How could he sacrifice his only son?  The thought of it sent him into despair.  But how could he not?  The God he feared and followed had spoken; how could he disobey the One who meant so much to him? (Genesis 22:1-2)

Abraham made a choice that day.  He decided to act with confidence based on what God had promised.  Knowing that God is faithful, he chose to believe that he could trust the Lord to bring about His assurance that Abraham would be the father of many nations and that a great blessing would come through his child, Isaac.  (Genesis 12:2-3,  Genesis 15:5, Genesis 21:12)

Abraham didn't know how God would fulfill His promise, but he knew without a doubt that somehow, both he and his son would return from Moriah.  He had every intention of taking the life of his beloved, knowing in his heart that God would bring him back to life.  (Hebrews 11:17-19)

What drove Abraham to act was his understanding of the nature of God.  He knew God as One who could be trusted to carry out what He proclaimed.  I, too, can become a woman like unto Abraham.  Even when things look dismal and beyond hope, I can live in a way that proclaims my faith in a God of integrity.

Actions

By all accounts he was a righteous man who loved God.  When his Lord spoke, he put the plan into action.  This proposal was preposterous and would bring him much grief.  His reputation would be ruined, his home would be one filled with betrayal and pain, and there would be much speculation at the city gate as to his sanity, but Hosea trusted God and did as He commanded.

This prophet of God was used to illustrate the love of God to the unfaithful people of Israel through the circumstances of his life.  Hosea would become an example of the devotion of the Creator to the ones He chose as His own, even though their affections were for other gods.  Hosea was called to marry and cherish a prostitute; an adulterous woman who did not take her marriage vows seriously.

God may call me to live in circumstances which could bring about great pain to myself and those I love in order to bring Him glory.  Maybe it is a job in a far-away place that will mean separation from extended family.  It could be that He has a plan for me that includes living in poverty for a time.  Or, God might bless others through my willingness to share about a stronghold of sin that troubled me for a time.  

Whatever God is asking of me, I can be assured that my obedience will bring about great blessing, no matter how bleak my situation may seem.  Like Hosea, God will use my obedience to deliver a message of hope and love to a world doomed for destruction.

When I choose to obey God's calling despite the consequences my submission may bring, I am saying with my actions that I serve a God of integrity.

Vision

The reports were glowing.  The land was filled with good things to eat and flowing with milk and honey.  Grapes larger than ever-before seen were growing freely, and juicy pomegranate and delicious figs were abundantly available.  This was a wonderful paradise!

Oh, but there was one tiny problem.  The people who lived there were vicious giants who would not easily give up their land to the Israelites.  Thankfully, two men carried a vision of what God could do to those puny monsters!  Caleb and Joshua knew that God would deliver on His promise to guide His people into the promised land.  These two young men could see the twelve tribes living there as if it were already a done deal. (Numbers 14:7-9)

Because of their faith, Caleb and Joshua were the only two out of an entire generation who were allowed to enter into the land God had set aside for His people.  I, too, can live my life like these two men who believed God was capable of slaying giants.

When impossible circumstances present themselves, I can move forward as if God has already delivered me.  For the times the bills are piling high and my pay is dwindling, I can live as if my Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills.  When my child is behaving as if he doesn't know Jesus, straying far away,  I can treat him as lovingly as my Father cherishes me despite my waywardness.  During the rocky times of my marriage, I can treasure my vows, knowing that God will bring us through.

No matter how large the barriers in my life, God is up for the job.  Only He can give me the strength and courage to hang on when the storms of life rage around me. (Isaiah 43:2)

When I am in the middle of the seemingly impossible, I can choose to move forward with the assurance that God will deliver me.

Example

The sun gleamed, reflecting off the blade of the knife held high over his head.  Even though he lay in such a vulnerable position, laid out as a sacrifice to the Lord, his heart beat steadily.  The words of his father ran through his mind, bringing him comfort and the assurance that all would turn out well.  "We will come right back," he had said to their servants. (Genesis 22:5)  Isaac knew he would return home with his father.

As the mother of four daughters, it is hard for me to think about killing one of them in obedience to God's calling.  The more I know about God, however, the more plausible it becomes.  Abraham's faith in God was strong.  As a father, it was his desire to not only obey God, but to demonstrate his faith through the example he left for Isaac.  As one who loved his son as much as I love my daughters, his act of obedience wasn't cruel or unloving.  On the contrary, I would say he probably showed great love and care as he placed Isaac on the altar.

More importantly, though, was the faith he exhibited for his son.  Instead of feeling fear and trepidation at what was to come, then, Isaac only felt peace as his father's faith rubbed off on him.  His father's confidence in a God who could raise him from the dead gave him reassurance to move forward with a quiet sense of calm.

I, too, have the opportunity to demonstrate my faith to those who are following me or simply observing my life.  When hard times come, do I boldly live, knowing that God will provide or do I sink into depression, afraid that my life is over?   When I am asked to do what seems impossible, do I willingly rise to the occasion knowing that God will equip me or do I shrink away from the challenge, troubled by the thought of the test?  When bad things keep happening, do I speak of the hope I have in Christ, or only of the pain I feel in my heart?

However I react, I can be sure that people are watching.  Either they will gain confidence in the God I trust or they will see that my God is really not all that great.

When I speak the vision my faith gives me, all those around me can share in God's mighty acts and will then give Him glory.

What I believe about God is evident in the way I respond to His call.  When I move forward down the path He laid out for me despite the difficulty it brings, live with the vision of what He has promised as if it were a done deal, and leave a powerful example in my speech, then my life will  express a faith in a God of integrity.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I can live my life this day as if my God can do anything.

How do I betray my lack of faith in the way I tackle difficulties?

When do I convey a spirit of doubt in the way I talk about my circumstances?