What is my first priority?

I helped out with a different Sunday school class today because one of the teachers needed to help out elsewhere in the service. The story today was from Genesis 22 - the story of how God tests Abraham. God wants to see how faithful Abraham is and so He calls to him one day and tells him to sacrifice his one and only son Isaac on the altar.

2 Then God said, "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." (Gen 22:2)

A bit of background here -- God had made Abraham a promise back in Genesis 15:

4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." (Gen 15:4-5)

God made a promise to Abraham that he would have an heir, even in his old age, and that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the heaven. What a promise! But back to Genesis 22, we see that while God did fulfill his promise to grant Abraham a son, Isaac, He was now asking him to sacrific him as a burnt offering.

What is going on here? Why is God asking Abraham to do this?

God wanted to test Abraham to see if he would be faithful even with the one thing that He knew Abraham loved the most in the world -- his only son. The story goes on to show that Abraham indeed was faithful.

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. (Gen 22:3)

Wait a minute -- did you catch that? -- He woke up early the next morning. Can we fully grasp the meaning of this? How many times has God asked me to do something for Him, something i really did not want to do but then out of pure obedience, I was able to react without hesitation? This was the way of Abraham. He didn't sleep on it for a couple of days to see if he would go through with it. He didn't pretend that God hadn't spoken to him or think that maybe God might forget. He woke up early the next morning and set out on his journey to do something that he really didn't want to do -- and the only reason he was doing it was because God told him to -- this, i believe, is pure obedience.

When he finally reaches the mountain, he tells his servants to wait while he and Isaac walk the rest of the way up the mountain to offer the sacrifice.

5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." (Gen 22:5)

What is odd about what he said? Abraham says that he and Isaac will go further, they will worship and then they will come back. He said, "we will come back to you". This implies that he meant himself AND Isaac. Is it that he's trying to hide the fact that Isaac is the sacrifice and he doesn't want his servants to stop him? Or maybe he doesn't want his son to become scared? Or maybe he trusts that God will pull through for him somehow? Maybe all these things. When Isaac asks his father where the offering is, he answers:

8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. (Gen 22:8)

Aside from the faith to be obedient to God, no matter what the request, Abraham shows also that he still trusts that God is in control of the situation -- no matter what the outcome. They finally arrive at the altar where Abraham prepares the wood for the burnt offering, ties up his son and places him on the altar. He is about to plunge the knife into his son when an angel stops him.

12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." (Gen 22:12)

I have read this story numerous times before but as I reflect more about my life and where I've placed God in my life, I realize that He never really had first priority in my life because I didn't know what it meant. When I've read this story in the past, it makes me a little uncomfortable. What is God trying to tell me here? What I have come to terms with is that the cost to following Christ is not a cheap one. It is actually quite an expensive one to make -- i am offering my own life as a sacrifice, to serve the One I love without reservation and I am agreeing to make Him the very first priority in my life, now and forever. This means that if He were to ask me for ___(insert the most valuable, important thing in my life )___ I can do it without hesitation, just like Abraham did. Even if I dont' like it, even if i find it uncomfortable, even if i am fighting mind-battles in my head the entire way, i can still above all, be obedient. And even if God asks me to do something that, to me, doesn't make sense, can i trust him fully to know that he has the BEST in mind for me? Here's God's response to Abraham:

15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
(Gen 22: 15-18)

God blesses Abraham for his faith and for his obedience. God was the first priority in Abraham's life -- he held nothing back, not even his beloved only son. I believe God also tests me in the same way -- can i give up the most valued thing in my life because God asks me to? Can i surrender personal dreams that I have in order to pursue God's will for my life? can i put God as my first priority in my life?

32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

Can i let go of the most valuable things in my life with an open hand so that I am able to receive God's best for me? How can I receive from God blessings even greater than what I currently have, if my fists are closed with the things that I think are already most valuable? And can i fully wholly understand that the greatest gift of all, is the gift of Jesus Christ and the death he died for me on the cross? If God held nothing back for me, if he sent his Son to die for my soul, then how can i doubt that God has the best in mind for me?

Such a simple story and yet so much to think about.