notesbynora

There are moments in Scripture that stop us in our tracks—and the story of Abraham and Isaac is one of them.

God asked Abraham to take his promised son, Isaac, up the mountain and offer him as a sacrifice. It was a request that made the heart ache. Yet Scripture tells us Abraham obeyed. What often gets overlooked is how he obeyed—with faith so deep that it spoke even before the miracle came.

As Abraham prepared to leave, he told his servants, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and we will come back to you” (Genesis 22:5).
 

He didn’t say, “I will return.” He didn’t say, “Perhaps we will return.” He said with great confidence, “We will come back.”

Abraham trusted God completely. He believed that somehow—some way—the Lord would keep His promise. Hebrews later tells us that Abraham reasoned God could even raise Isaac from the dead if necessary (Hebrews 11:19). This was not blind obedience; it was obedience rooted in confidence in God’s character.

As they climbed the mountain, Isaac asked the question every parent fears: “Father…where is the lamb?” And Abraham answered with words that echo through generations: “God Himself will provide the lamb.” (Genesis 22:8)

At the moment Abraham raised the knife, the angel of the Lord stopped him. And there—caught in the thicket—was a ram.

The provision was already there.

God did not scramble at the last second. He had prepared the ram in advance. The test was never about the sacrifice—it was about trust. God wanted Abraham to know that obedience does not end in loss when the Lord is the one who sends you.

That is why Abraham named the place Jehovah-Jireh—“The Lord will provide.”

So often in our own lives, we climb mountains not knowing how things will turn out. We carry questions. We carry fear. We carry obedience that feels costly. But like Abraham, we are called to trust that God sees the whole picture—even the parts hidden in the bushes we cannot yet see.

The ram may not look like what we expected. The provision may not come how or when we imagined. But God is faithful to provide what is needed at exactly the right moment.

If you are standing on a mountain today—waiting, trusting, surrendering—know this: the ram is already there. The Lord has not forgotten you. He is not late. He is not careless with your heart.

Obedience opens the door for provision. Faith declares, “We will return,” even when the path ahead is unclear.

And just like Abraham discovered, the God who calls you up the mountain is the same God who meets you there.

Prayer:
Lord, help me trust You when obedience feels heavy and the outcome uncertain. Open my eyes to see Your provision, even when it is hidden. I choose to believe that You are Jehovah-Jireh—my Provider. Amen.

There is something sacred about opening the Bible—not just as a book, but as a conversation. When we sit with the Word of God each day, we are not simply reading ancient text; we are allowing God to speak into our present moment.

Scripture reminds us, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword…” (Hebrews 4:12). The Word is living. It breathes. It moves. It meets us exactly where we are.

That is why the same verse can feel different at different seasons of our lives. A passage you read in your twenties may have comforted you. That same passage, years later, may challenge you—or heal you—or gently correct you. The words have not changed, but you have. And God, in His perfect wisdom, uses the same truth to reach us in new ways.

This is the beauty of daily time in Scripture. God knows what you need today. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Today.

One person may read a verse and feel peace. Another may read it and feel conviction. Another may feel hope rising where despair once lived. This is not confusion—it is evidence of a living God speaking personally to His children. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). His voice often comes through His Word.

Reading the Bible daily is not about checking a box or completing a plan. It is about posture—showing up with an open heart and saying, “Lord, speak. I’m listening.” Sometimes the Word will affirm you, or sometimes it will stretch you. Sometimes it will sit comfort you while you grieve. All of it matters.

There are days when a single verse is enough to carry you through. Other days, a story unfolds that mirrors your own life so closely it feels as though God underlined it just for you. Scripture adapts to our circumstances not because it is a flexible truth, but because truth is eternal—and eternity touches every moment we live.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Notice it does not say a spotlight for the whole journey. Often, God’s Word gives us just enough light for the next step. That is why we return to it again and again. Daily dependence builds daily faith.

If you’ve fallen out of the habit of reading Scripture, begin gently. Start with a Psalm. Read the Gospels. Sit with one verse and let it speak. Ask God what He wants you to see—not what you want to rush past.

The Word of God is not meant to be distant or intimidating. It is meant to be close. Familiar. Alive. It is God’s way of reminding us that we are never walking alone.

When we stay in the Word, the Word stays in us—and over time, it shapes how we think, how we love, how we forgive, and how we hope.

Open your Bible today. Not for information—but for transformation.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your living Word. Help me to hunger for it daily and to hear Your voice through it. Speak to me where I am, and shape me into who You are calling me to be. Amen.