8/13/2019 A Ram is on the Way

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A Ram is on the WayGlynnis Whitwer

"So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mo ntaino! the LORD it ill be provided.'" #enesis $$%& ()*+

Have you ever been in a situation so desperate that it looked hopeless? Have you eversat at the kitchen table wondering how you were going to pay the electric bill? Have you everstood at a door that's been slammed in your face by an angry teenager and despaired at having arelationship with him again? Have you ever had your heart broken so deeply that you wondered ifyou would feel whole again? Sadly, we live in a broken world where desperate situations happenevery day. I know someone reading this devotion is wondering how she will make it through theday because her situation looks hopeless. If that is you, I encourage you to keep reading. I believeGod has a message of hope for you today.

hat message is found in the !ible, in the story of a man who was dealing with his owndesperate situation. His name was "braham and he faced the greatest testing of his life. "fter

longing for a son for many years, God finally gave "braham a boy, whom he named Isaac. "braham never imagined God would test his faith by asking him to sacrifice his son. !ut ithappened. It had to have been the darkest day of "braham's life as he trudged up the mountain,with firewood strapped to his son's back. #very step took "braham closer to what he believed tobe the sad ending of a hopeless situation$the death of his son. %et in spite of his sorrow,

"braham trusted God. His heart wasn't soaring with &oy. He wasn't dancing up the mountain. !uthe put one foot in front of the other. alking through the darkness of the situation( obeying HisGod's commands. )nbeknownst to "braham, something else was walking up that mountain.*uietly. +ut of sight. +n the other side of the mountain. Something else was putting one foot infront of the other. +nly "braham couldn't see it. or every step "braham took, a ram on the otherside of the mountain took a step. "ll "braham saw that day was his solitary &ourney of pain. "s he

got closer to the top of the mountain, his dread must have increased. I wonder if he asked himselfany -uestions. I would have. I would have wondered why hadn't God intervened? hy hadn't Godstopped this testing? ouldn't God see that "braham was a man of faith? hy test himin this way? !ut there was no answer. here was no voice from heaven. "nd so "braham keptobeying his God's command. He put Isaac on an altar and prepared to sacrifice his one and onlyson. "nd &ust at that very moment, at the very last second, when it looked like the end had come,God spoke, stopping the sacrifice. "braham looked up and there caught in the thicket was a ram.

"braham took his son off the altar, replaced him with the ram, and offered the sacrifice to God. "braham named that place /%ahweh0%ireh/ or / he 1ord ill 2rovide./ "nd the story was writtendown for generations of God0followers to read. It was written so that you and I today would read itas we face our own hopeless situations. It was captured in print so that you and I would know thatGod is already planning for our provision. e don't see it. e don't hear it. !ut we can trust thatour God is at work. +n your behalf, and on mine. I choose to trust God today. " ram is on the way.

Prayer:Dear Lord, -o no ho desperate * am today. -o no that my !aith has avered. Altho /h *

ant to tr st -o , *'m havin/ tro ble doin/ so. * as !or -o r intervention in my sit ation, and !oran increase o! my !aith hile * ait. *n 0es s' )ame, Amen.

Application Steps:3ead 2salm 45. 1ist the promises God has for those who love Him.

Reflections:God's timing is not our timing. hat are some reasons God might wait to answer our prayers?3ead the story of "braham and Isaac in Genesis 66. hat are some of the things "braham didright that I can apply to my situation?

Power Verses:2salm 45758, /'!ecause he loves me,' says the 1+39, 'I will rescue him( I will protect him, for heacknowledges my name.'/ :;I, / hey cried to you and were saved( in you they trusted and were not disappointed./:;I

8/13/2019 A Ram is on the Way

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