MY WAY--HIS WAY

People struggle. We all want to have it our way, on our terms. But life, and life with God especially, is not that way.

I am teaching Old Testament now, and have been teaching/reading in Genesis. One thing I am learning from this survey is the bigger picture. So often we read one verse or one small passage from the Scriptures, and do not see the bigger story--the bigger picture. At times, we need to read the Bible as story--as we read other novels or stories.

The story of Abram (Abraham) is one interesting story, dealing with "my way or His way." (Genesis 12-22, especially)

God tells Abram that He plans to bless him with a land, a relationship (with Himself) and with many descendants. And Abram will be a blessing to many nations. But the promise doesn't come quickly.

For about 25 years, Abram struggles with "my way or His way--especially in the area of a son and descendants. God tells him (Abram is 75) that he will have a son. His wife Sarai (Sarah) is 65. But as time goes on (read the chapters for yourself), this gets even harder to believe for Abram. So he takes things in his own hands. (Glad you and I never do that! LOL)

He tries to save his own life by saying that his wife, Sarai, is his sister. He talks to God and says that he guesses his servant Eliezer will inherit his possessions (God's promises to him--things that would normally be given to a son). But God says, "No, not him--a son."

He still doesn't receive the promise of a son, so he thinks that his nephew, Lot, will be the one inheriting it all. But that is taken care of by Lot's circumstances and a separation between Lot and Abraham.

Then, Abraham takes things into his hands (Sarah also does this--her "my way"), by taking Hagar as the surrogate mom for a son, Ismael. But God tells Abraham again, "this is not the promised son--he will be a son you have with Sarah."

Finally, twenty-give years later, after doing things his way, rather than God's way, he receives, with his wife, Sarah, the promised son, Isaac. What joy--what blessing--what laughter (Isaac's name means this)!

And then in Genesis 22, God asks Abraham to do an illogical thing. "Take your son, your only son, [the promised son] and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on Mt Moriah." God's way doesn't at all make sense at this time (Did it make sense before--advanced ages and birth of a son and 25 years later?).

But this time, Abraham does it God's way--takes the promised son to sacrifice him to God. God stops him from killing and sacrificing his son, just at the critical moment. Abraham has proven he is willing NOW to do things, finally, God's way. And God supplies another sacrifice, hence the name of God, Jehovah Jireh (the LORD, my Provider).

Did God need to prove to Himself that Abraham would follow Him here? No, God already knew. But Abraham needed to learn, for himself, that God was trustworthy, even when things do not intellectually or emotionally make sense to oneself. God's way is the best way. And Abraham saw that to follow God was the best thing to do, rather than attempting to live "his way (Abraham's).

Finally, God's way, not his way. Finally, trusting God, not himself. Finally, seeing God is good and has good in mind and has the best way for things to occur--and even amazing things to happen.

Abraham finally got it. Have I? Have you? My way or His way--which is REALLY best?