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Genesis 22:1-3

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”  He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Have you ever gotten in the way…of you? The baggage you carry from a past relationship slows you down like a ship’s anchor. Your attitude shows through and keeps people from getting close or ever trying to get close again. An ungodly habit keeps you from any attempts at walking closer to God. An unfulfilled dream leaves you disappointed and disillusioned and dries up your last ounce of hope. Let’s face it…the answer to just about every issue I have is… “me”! I get in the way of me way more often than I’d like to admit. There is something I need to work on…in one word…relent.

I can’t serve God and myself. There are some things I must give up and give over. My will wants my way. I need to wave the white flag of surrender. Ambition blurs the vision of Jesus. I need to relinquish my personal hopes and dreams. Sometimes God will ask me to do difficult things. I must submit to him.

This week we will follow a man whose assignment was beyond unimaginable. God held off giving Abraham and Sarah a child for many years. Then in what seemed to be a cruel twist, he asked Abraham to sacrifice their son as an act of worship. While God will not ask us to sacrifice a child today, he will ask us to let go of things we hold dear. There will be times when he brings us to the point of choosing between him and something or someone else. There will be times when we must decide to get out of the way…or not. This week I invite you on a journey to relent. Don’t take the invitation lightly.

Father, prepare my heart to give up anything that stands in the way of an all-out relationship with you. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

Today’s Journey Message:

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