We find many examples of “jumpers” (people who listened to His voice and just jumped) in Scripture. I’ve been thinking about Abraham a lot lately. His life and story is certainly one from which we can all learn.
The first thing we learn about Abraham after his genealogy is a story of obedience. God tells him, “Go to a land that I will show you.” God asked him to leave his father’s household, his country, and his people. He asked him to leave his life as he knew it….to leave all sense of familiarity….to go to a place that God would show him. He wasn’t able to google the new place and scope out a place to live or study the culture. He didn’t have a travel itinerary or a map. He simply listened to God’s voice and just jumped. Genesis 12:3 says, “So Abram left, as the Lord had told him…”
Though certainly not perfect or without mistakes, Abraham continued to recognize God’s voice in the days ahead and to obey.
Most likely the most difficult act of obedience came when the Lord asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. The Lord had made a covenant with Abraham that He would make him a father of many nations and that He would establish that covenant through Isaac. The promised and long-awaited son was exactly who God was asking Abraham to sacrifice. We know Abraham dearly loved Isaac as we read in Genesis 22:2: 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.”
Can you imagine the emotions Abraham must have been experiencing at this point? His heart had to be breaking in pieces, and yet his response was immediate and obedient. “Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled the donkey.” Genesis 22:3 He didn’t tell God he would think about it. He didn’t stall. He recognized God’s voice and just jumped.
This was not a spur of the moment decision, but it was an intentional commitment to listen and to obey. Abraham was able to respond because he had established a lifestyle and habit of obedience. In her Bible study entitled “Discerning the Voice of God” Priscilla Shirer makes the following statement:
“ See how he refused to leave anything to chance? He didn’t just hope to carry out God’s instructions. He put measures in place to be certain of it -- certain he would arrive at his destination, certain he’d be equipped with appropriate supplies to carry out the task, certain of having suitable accountability in place to make sure the job was done with precision. Every step of the way, Abraham’s plan put him in position to hear what God would say or do next.” (p20)
God IS going to ask you and me to “just jump”. Are we planning now to obey? Are we spending time in His Word and in prayer so that we can recognize His voice from the millions of other voices that try to get our attention? Are we putting ourselves in position to obey?
Friends, may it be so.
