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.