‘Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they both went together. They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son. The Lord’s angel called to him out of the sky, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.” He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” ‘ Genesis 22:8-12
Spend time in nature
Be a good neighbor today. Do something for a neighbor that has a hard time moving or can’t do the work on their own. Help rack someone’s yard, paint a fence, serve food at a soup kitchen, put together a basket for the local warming shelter, or anything to help someone in your community. If this isn’t your cup of tea, try a random act of kindness, or a random act of silliness. Try to send out good into the world by doing a local Geocache and leaving an encouraging note for the next person. Create a family music video for your favorite worship song and post it to your social media pages with an inspirational quote. The best part about belonging to Christ is people can see our love for our neighbor in our actions. With work and school and trying to stay on top of quality family time, it can be hard to notice when our neighbors are in need of a loving heart. Stop today and try to see how the holy spirit might lead you.
Tip
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13
Do something creative
To remind your family to be rich in Faith help them see how God has poured out His blessings on your family. Before Sabbath contact a local homeless/warming shelter or food bank and ask what your family can donate to help those less fortunate. Put together a gift basket for the charitable organization. Some organizations put together small gift bags for children for their birthdays. As a family put together something you can donate to those less fortunate.
What you will need:
- Socks
- Water bottle
- Wet wipes
- Toothbrush & toothpaste
- Single -serving snacks (trail mix, nuts, crackers)
- Nail clippers
- Gloves
- Bandages
- Sunscreen
Family worship idea
As family worship begins talk about who you helped today, ask everyone if they enjoyed helping. Read through Genesis 22, talk about Abraham; he heard the voice of God clear as your family hears your voice. Abraham was obedient to the voice of God, but before he was asked to do such an unusual thing Abraham first had Faith. “You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected” (James 2:22). As we grow as Christians we show others who we are by our actions (John 13:35). “Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God… Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them.” (1 John 3: 19-24) Our actions can be our greatest witness in most cases. In Mark 16 after the resurrection, Jesus gives the disciples their marching orders “Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News to the whole creation” (verse 15). Jesus talks about how helping is like seeing a helpless animal stuck and helping it to freedom. It might be a lot of work for the person, but for the animal who could not get unstuck, who couldn’t find a way on their own it is life-changing. God may never call us to make such a sacrifice but we can see His petitions in the bible; pray we hear the voice of God every time we read the scriptures.
Personal thoughts
I often wanted to hear God’s voice as if he were sending a booming message right from heaven to my ears. I have yet to hear an all-powerful voice radiate from heaven, but I often hear a still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13) when reading the bible. This voice tugs on my ear and makes me curious about a verse or two and sends me spiraling down a rabbit hole. When that voice comes along I know it is going to be a good study. God gives us so many amazing promises, one of the most loving promises is found in John 10:27-30. God promises we will hear his voice as a sheep hears the shepherds voice. Abraham heard God’s voice plain as day and without question, and though the task God gave him would have meant giving up his son Abraham obeyed. God had specifically told Abraham descendants great as the stars would be named through Isaac (Genesis 21:12). Abraham knew if he went up to the top of Mount Moriah with Isaac, somehow he would return with his son. Abraham said to his young men he and Isaac would return to them and the donkey who no longer bore the burden of the wood then placed on Isaac’s back. They did return, the two obedient servants of the Lord had shown God their works. God gives us His word in black and white, in print or audio, on smart screens, in hundreds of languages, across the world. Jesus promises the law will remain the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Matthew 5:18) just as Jesus is (Hebrews 13:8). “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). “He who believes and is immersed will be saved, but he who disbelieves will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16: 16-18) I can’t say I have done any of these things, but I’ve rebuked my own demons by drawing closer to God. I talked to a gentleman who was undesirable and simply asked if he needed help, he replied with a thank you and said I was the only person to speak to him. I’ve taken up for those I love and forgave those I thought I would hate. I’ve taken care of others while they were ill and saw God restore them. I’m a poor example of a miracle worker, but I’m okay at being a believer. I hope one day I will have faith that is assured as Abraham’s faith.
Hiding His word in you ❤
Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
James 2:21
Sabbath Catalyst 