Never let your blessing become an idol.
Blessings, when valued for what they are, often increase. With that increase, there’s more to idolise and so one has to keep on practising obedience re. the first commandment.
Abraham had his son Isaac, the very one through whom God had promised to bring forth his progeny. Seeing how he trusted God, he had to know that “God himself [would indeed] provide a lamb for the sacrifice.”.
I am reluctant to agree with feminist scholars who are critical of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son. I believe that even as he drew the knife, he was waiting for God’s deliverance of that son through whom he had promised him children, grandchildren and countless descendants. He knew that he was being tested and he was not about to fail that test. It was the disposition to obey God that mattered.
I empathize with Abraham. Poor sinner me- I have been in situations where I firmly believed that God would act in my favour and not require the “necessary” sacrifice that I foresaw. But I made my mind up that I was going in the direction that I felt the Lord leading, poised to do whatever the Lord required. I rather live knowing that I’ve been obedient than live regretting that I did not place my trust in God.
I do not recall being abandoned by God in times of extremely difficult decision making, even those times when it seemed like God was not there. I have never been called to give up one of my children. No, even the thought of that sounds too brutal. But I have been placed in situations where I felt that God’s plan could well continue without the would-be sacrifice that I was determined to make if the Lord so required. It’s really all about letting go of anything (or anyone) that could become my idol. Every time I do, I am set free. God always provides the means for sacrifice, even when I have to go to the end of the plan. God is good all the time.