After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!. . . Take your son Isaac, your only son, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you." Abraham built an altar . . . laid wood on it . . . bound his son Isaac . . . and took the knife to kill his son. The Lord called to him . . . "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear [have reverence] for God, since you have not withheld your only son from me" (Genesis 22: 1, 2, 9 - 12, NRSV).

What have you been waiting for? So much of life is spent waiting. We wait in checkout lines at the grocery store, the mall, and theatres. Some people are waiting for their investments to bounce back from the 2009 Wall Street meltdown or for bank certificates of deposit to mature. Who has not had to wait for a promotion at work or for that difficult boss to move up or out?

Teens cannot wait to grow up to live life according to their own rules. We plan vacations and look forward to holidays; then wait. We wait to retire so that we can do all the things we do not have time to do while making a living. With nine days of snowing and frigid temperatures, some of us are already waiting for summer's warm days. Have you considered how much of your life is wasted in waiting? 

But, what happens when you finally have that "something" for which you have waited a long time, only to lose it after a short time? Could you give up something that you have waited to have? 

I cannot imagine the horror that Abraham must have felt when God asked him to sacrifice, to give up, his son, Isaac. Can you? No doubt terror gripped every fiber of his spiritual and physical being. Isaac was the son promised to them by God. Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had waited a long time--well beyond their childbearing years--for Isaac. Now, God was asking them to give him up.  

Why did God ask Abraham to do what seems to the human mind so unimaginable? Did God not know that it would pierce their hearts and leave their lives empty and joyless? As if that were not terrible enough, giving up Isaac would make it impossible for God to keep a promise made to Abraham. God had promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations with descendents too numerous to count. What was God thinking? 

Scripture states that one of God's reasons was to test Abraham's willingness. Was Abraham willing to give up Isaac, the son he and God knew was cherished, was the reason for their living, and gave meaning to and purpose for their lives? Not only that, but Isaac was God's sign of promise and faithfulness. Could Abraham faithfully respond to God's request, even if it required him to act contrary to human desire, motivation, and expectation?  

Is there something that you worship, which God might be asking you to give up to demonstrate your faithfulness as a committed disciple of Christ? It might be something for which you have waited a long time or worked so hard to get. Comfortable, safe, and predictable life?  Unencumbered time? What is your Isaac? 

Things turned out well for Abraham and, thus, for Isaac. God needed to know whether Abraham worshipped Him more. When God saw Abraham's willingness to give up his son whom he cherished, God allowed him to keep Isaac, and then blessed Abraham beyond his human expectations.  

God will bless you, as well, when Christ is first in your life.