Key Text: Psalms 116:12

“What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me?”

Fellow travellers, hope you all enjoyed the movie “indescribable”? Amazing isn’t it? There is a sequel that will just leave you mouth agape! I will paste the link below for your pleasure.

Our God is fearfully awesome and His creation and creative abilities are way beyond the scope of human comprehension. In other words, we can’t wrap our limited minds around an unlimited God!

So why would God, the awesome Creator of the stupendous universe ever really notice any of us? In part 1 of this discourse, I stated clearly that we cannot impress God. He can’t be impressed. He is the only one who can impress Himself. When He created in the beginning, He said it was good. But no man can ever impress God. We should never try to impress Him. This will lead us into religion and striving and we will only end up miserable. Let me say it clearly. God is already impressed with Jesus Christ. He is not looking for us to impress Him. However, He remains very interested in what we do and can be pleased with our actions and tickled by our meagre means of honouring Him.

Today, I want to consider a man who so pleased God that God called Him His friend. Not many people in the bible have ever recieved such complement from God. For a man to be the friend of God is almost absurd. But it is true. Abraham was and remains a friend of God.

In Genesis 22, we read the story of God testing Abraham by asking for his loved son Isaac as a sacrifice. God instructed Abraham to take Isaac up a mountain in the region of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering. Abraham took the lad and went as God instructed bound him and was about to plunge the knife into his heart, when God restrained him and showed him a ram caught in a thicket as a substitute offering for Isaac.

Then God said in Genesis 22:11-12 (NKJV) 11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.”
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

This act of obedience by Abraham so moved God that He reconfirmed His covenant with Abraham and added a few more points to make absolutely clear His intention towards Abraham and his descendants. Please read these words: Genesis 22:16-18 (NKJV) “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

God expanded the promise by stating that the descendants of Abraham will possess the gates of their enemies, that is they will have dominion and the biggest one of them, IN YOUR SEED all the nations of the earth will be blessed. This SEED is Jesus Christ.

In a what can only be a divine exchange, God asked Abraham for his beloved son Isaac to be offered as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah, but instead of that God stopped him and showed him a ram as a replacement for Isaac; then God eventually offered His only begotten Son on the same Mount Moriah as a sacrifice for the redemption of all mankind, and all who put their faith in Jesus Christ and what He did on that mountain 2000 years ago are referred to as children of Abraham. What an awesome God. Selah!

What am I trying to say. We can’t impress God, yet our actions can please him. Our thoughts, actions, words all have a way of making Him happy or otherwise. I know we all would love to bring a smile to the face of God. (A thought just crossed my mind, what if you said something to God just this moment that puts a smile on His face and all the angels see Him beaming and wondering what just happened and then he lets them hear what you just said).

I learnt a song in school as a child that seems just so apt for this moment. Here are the words.

Wise May Bring Their Learning
Hymn Lyrics

The wise may bring their learning, the rich may bring their wealth,
And some may bring their greatness, and some bring strength and health;
We, too, would bring our treasures to offer to the King;
We have no wealth or learning; what shall we children bring?

We’ll bring Him hearts that love Him; we’ll bring Him thankful praise,
And young souls meekly striving to walk in holy ways;
And these shall be the treasures we offer to the King,
And these are gifts that even the poorest child may bring.

We’ll bring the little duties we have to do each day;
We’ll try our best to please Him, at home, at school, at play;
And better are these treasures to offer to our King;
Than richest gifts without them yet these a child may bring.

Let this be our prayer today!

Part 2 of Indescribable.