“He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Genesis 22:2 ESV
I very often field questions about the correct way to hear the call of Lord, understand that call, and then act on that call. Oh, what a question. Since Margie and I predominantly work with young lives that are considering mid to long term missions in their immediate future, we often encounter young lives that are walking a path that seems to not have a fork in it, but a case of forks, all pointing in different directions. You see, it’s ever so difficult to discern the voice of the Lord when it is muddied by so much worldly noise, including the deafening noise of our own deceitful heart. (Jeremiah 17:9) As I often ponder just what the true answer to the question is, I must heavily lean towards this great quote from the early 20th century Christian theologian, Donald Barnhouse. “I believe that ninety per cent of the knowing of the will of God consists in willingness to do it before it is known.” You see, to truly hear and discern the call of the Lord, the heart must first convince the feet to move in a direction that is unknown to the mind.
This morning I encounter one of the most dramatically powerful chapter in all of God’s Word. Abraham taking his only son Isaac to the altar to be sacrificed at his hand. Recall that God announced to Abraham at 75 years of age that He would bless Sarah’s barren womb with a child to carry on God’s covenant promise to them. Yet not until 25 years later did Abraham and Sarah see God’s promise materialize. What a 25-year period that must have been as every day Abraham and Sarah would anxiously await on that child. And for Abraham to endure a 100 year life without a child, only to then have God command him to offer it up as sacrifice, must have been quite the emotionally traumatizing command to receive. Yet notice the biblical text carefully. It never mentions emotion, rebellion, or an attempt to understand from Abraham…we only see blessed obedience to the command of God.
Our natural human tendency is to desire to know where we are going. I mean today I would not randomly drive around my home of Guadalajara, Mexico a massive city of 7.5 million people, with no plan and hope to somehow get to my desired destination. Herein lies the great caveat. How does the follower of Jesus Christ shed the need to know its destination? How can a Holy Spirit inspired human being truly shirk its need to let go of the wheel, admit it has no control, and willingly walk into the unknown? Well, it sounds a little cliché, but it’s all about faith. And Biblical faith is “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)
And to model Godly faith, God gives us this amazing chapter with Abraham so willing to walk into the unknown, fully resting upon the promises of God in place of his human reason. As God instructs Abraham of his seemingly impossible task he does not dally, he rose early the very next morning and began his journey. He did not take a few days to ponder, he did not allow himself an extended period of prayer and meditation, he did not call a bunch of friends and formally make a prayer request. After the command of God is received, there is only one response…action through obedience. Abraham cut the wood for the offering, collected his knife and his only son, and then literally headed into the unknown as God had not divulged the location in which he was to sacrifice his son yet. And notice this unknown was not new to Abraham. One of God’s first calls on Abraham’s life was a call leave all he knew and walk into the unknown. “The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.” Genesis 12:1 NLT
Folks, there is a reason Abraham sits in the hallowed chapter of faith in Hebrews 11. Abraham possessed a level of faith and confidence in Almighty God that surpassed his human need to know. God’s call surpassed his human desire to know the plan, know the destination, know the details, and know the outcome. And friends, the call of the modern Christian is a call to be no less faithful than Abraham. Today as you seek to hear a call from the Lord, He might be waiting to speak as He already knows the response your heart is ready to offer. Until you can move beyond the doubt, the hesitation, and the questions, you will not be ready to walk into the unknown. But friends, I can personally attest, the abundant life promised by Christ is only truly found repeatedly walking into the unknown with only Christ as your guide.
May you today, in great faith, offer an obedient yes to the Lord…and then wait for His call into the unknown ~ Dan
