What are you willing to give up?

Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you. When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” Genesis 22:2 and 9-12. Abraham loved the Lord so much that he was willing to give up the very son that he had waited years for. Yet, all the Lord ask of us to give up the riches and the glamor of this life for Him and to give Him our everything. All He wants from us is us! So many of us are unwilling to do that. This very day, I ask of you, take stock of your life. Are you giving God your all in all? Is your focus on Him as strong as it should be? If not, start today. Look to Him for everything. Give Him your everything and put Him first and foremost in your life.

They who have an ear, let them hear.

  I got a chance to catch up today with a ministry friend from out of state.  He told me a story that I have to share with you guys.
    My friend has a daughter, 20 years old, who has been working for several years now saving for her college education.  She has no expenses as she lives at home. She buys her own gas and clothing but saves everything else. 
    Recently, she approached her father telling him that she felt led of God to help someone who was in need.  My friend told me that this family has never really had much income.  They worked and did their best to provide for themselves and always depended on God to do the rest but things never seemed to work out for them.  They take no government assistance, even though they more than qualify.  Her father told her that that would be a good thing but to try to do it in secret so that she could not claim any recognition for her good deed what ever it may be.
     A little later, at a Christmas get together, this family was talking to my friend.  They told him that they had been praying as a family asking the Lord to show them if they had failed Him in some way because they seem to never to be able to get ahead.  They wanted nothing more than to be obedient to God.  They had prayed this, seeking God for a while when one night they arrived home from church to find an envelope taped to their door with the words written,"This is for you from God."  The family went on to tell that they had opened the envelope and inside was what my friend described as hundreds and hundreds of dollars.  This family had depended on God once again and God had provided a miracle in their lives.
     My friend said the Lord revealed to Him that this was his daughter.  (She later confirmed this begrudgedly to her father when He ask her.)  This 20 year old girl was obedient to God's leading.  He used this girl to bless this family and I am sure that she will be blessed abundantly not only because she helped someone in need but more importantly because she was obedient. 
    How many of us would give up a huge portion of their savings to another even if we felt led too?  How many would be that obedient? I don't know if that was me if I would be.  This story spoke to my heart and I hope that it does yours as well.           
     First, it tells me that I need to trust in God more to help me when times get tough and secondly, it tells me that I need to be more attentive to God's leading and live a life of obedience to that leading. 
     When God speaks to your heart, don't ignore Him! Listen to what He says, then do it. You will be glad that you did.