Scripture
Our verse for today comes from Genesis 22:4, “Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.
Background
In this particular area where I live, winter has a somewhat milder bite to it than does summer. Whereas summer can bring month-long stretches of temperatures well into the 90’s, we get on average a few days of snow that will total around five to seven inches each year. And as beautiful as the snow is, it does have certain repercussions, especially when a year’s worth comes all at once like it did this week. And one of them is that it practically consumes your every thought. With the snow, each action and routine takes on a different feel and has this sense of energy and urgency that was not present before the ground turned white. And it seems even the gluten-free folks and the vegans can’t buy loaf bread and milk fast enough. Something about a snowfall captivates our minds, even beyond the concerns of sustenance and survival. Such must have been the case for Abraham, times ten thousand, as he journeyed to the mountaintop where he would execute his own son. No delicate snow awaited him at the peak, just the torment of running his promised son through with a knife. So as he travelled those three days to Moriah, could he think about anything else than what God had commanded of him? Did he even remember to eat? What conversation was he able to have that could break his fixation on what was to come?
Application
And when they arrived near the site, and Abraham and Isaac left behind the assisting entourage, could he take his eyes off of his son? Or could he not bear to look at him for fear of breaking down and weeping? How deep was the longing to hold him in his arms instead of using those arms to carry the fire and the knife? The important, the critical, the things that are vital are right to flood our minds. But may I say that God and His Word must be at the top of that list. And because the Bible is alive, if you will take and experience it, it will consume you and take hold of you such that your every thought, action, and routine will be touched by it. It may take some time, as do most things of worth, but it will reveal to you things far whiter than snow.
Charge
As we seek Him today, do more than give a passing glance at holy scripture. Let it fall over you and cover you from head to toe.
Rich Holt / Originally Published on : BCWorldview.org
Also published on : Medium.com.
