God the Father asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, the one whom he loved (Gn 22:2). God the Father did Himself what He asked Abraham to do. For the Father, Jesus was His "Isaac," His only Son, His well-beloved (Mk 9:7). Nonetheless, the Father did sacrifice Jesus, "His Beloved" (Mt 17:5).
God spared Abraham and Isaac, yet He "did not spare His own Son but handed Him over for the sake of us all" (Rm 8:32). Scripture says that God "laid upon [Jesus] the guilt of us all" (Is 53:6). Just as Abraham had laid the wood upon Isaac's shoulders (Gn 22:6), God the Father allowed the wood of the cross and the sins of the world to be laid upon His Son's shoulders.
Therefore, realize to the depths of your soul that God is for you. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rm 8:31) God the Father so loves you that He sent His only Son, that by believing in Jesus, you might have eternal life with Him in heaven (Jn 3:16). What God asks of you is to surrender your all to Him (Lk 10:27). Yet God first gave His all to you, His very heart, His Son Whom He loved (Mk 9:7).
Therefore, love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind (Lk 10:27). Give your life generously to Him Who has given so generously to you.
| PRAYER: | Father, You have never held anything back from me. Show me what I am holding back from You. I beg for the grace to give everything to You. |
| PROMISE: | "My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of all His people." –Ps 116:18 |
| PRAISE: | Praise and honor to You, Lord Jesus! You take us to the desert to speak to our hearts (Hos 2:16). We offer You our lives as a sacrifice of praise (Ps 50:23). |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College