“Abraham’s God could blow a man to bits, give and then take a child, ask for everything from a person, and then want more. I want to know that God.” Brennan Manning

“Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.’” Luke 9.23,24

“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied.”

Bliss held her breath last night. It seemed like she was chocking. It didn’t last long, only a few seconds, but to Alex and Amy it was an eternity. They called us and we rushed over. We all had questions. We quickly called all the medical professionals that we knew. It troubled us.

Everyone was trying to figure out what was happening. Carla and Alex were making phone calls. Emily was trying to be reassuring. I was watching Amy. She lay down on the couch with Bliss’ face right in front of her’s. She was feeling that baby breath. They were nose to nose. She was doing all she could to make sure that Bliss was alright.

Abraham had waited years for Isaac. Sarah had agonized over his coming. He brought laughter into their lives. He was a blessing from the God who spoke. Now the voice was calling for his return. How many times had Abraham slept nose to nose with Isaac? How times had the boy fallen sick or into trouble and they had nursed him or rescued him. “Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

God knew Isaac. God knew how much Abraham loved him. He was calling for a show of loyalty. This is not the safe god of Sunday morning donuts and soft-spoken Sunday schools. This is not the god of dressed up worships and bleach white cinder block. This God speaks worlds into existence and civilizations into oblivion. But, He is also the God who walked His own Son up another hill to offer him as a sacrifice for me; even though they had been nose to nose for longer than I can ever imagine.

Is this the God you want to know?