Reflections on Abraham Part Five: Good Coaching

Reflections on Abraham
Part Five: Good Coaching
Genesis 22.1 - .19

“Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” - The LORD
(Genesis 22.2)

One of the characteristic of a good coach is that he or she will push until you hit your limit and then push you farther. A good coach wants you to know how fast you can run. How high you can jump. How far you can throw. How hard you can get hit. The good coach does this so you will be better, stronger and victorious when it is game time. The LORD is not just a good coach, He is the best coach.

The LORD knows our limits before we do. He knows all our strengths and weakness even when we don’t. So, like all good coaches He pushes us to those outer limits but instead of athletic ability, He is pushing our faith to its extreme.

Look at Abraham in Genesis 22. The LORD has made a promise and covenant with Abraham that will be fulfilled through Isaac. Now, the LORD has asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham is being asked to kill the son of the promise. Abraham risks it all and steps out in faith. He is willing to sacrifice Isaac and is only stopped at the last moment by the LORD.

The LORD pushed Abraham’s faith to the edge. If you have put your faith in the LORD you know as well as I do that it will be challenged. Challenged by the LORD with the hard call we have as followers of Jesus. Our faith is challenged by the corrupted culture we live in. But, we must never forget that the Holy Spirit is in us to give us the power, courage and strength we need to overcome these challenges.