The Ram in the Thicket
The morning routine was very routine. After getting my daughter off to school, I spent time seeking Him and reading His Word, praying for my children and for others on my heart. I got dressed and walked the dog. And then I headed to my workout class.Probably 45 minutes into our workout, after many squats, weights, and grapevines, I finally noticed it. A 6 inch piece of tree limb stuck in my tennis shoe. As I was laying on my back, I kept looking at it, wondering how long it had been there and when did it actually get there? And why hadn’t I noticed it?I pointed it out to the ladies in my class and after the comical responses, we all wondered the same questions I had. Robyn even said she had been admiring my pink shoes but never noticed it.Referring to my blog, where many times God speaks to me in the most unusual ways, someone asked me what lesson God would have for us in this seemingly silly incident.And all of a sudden, someone replied, “I know! This is just like the ram in the thicket!” And in unison we all gave a hearty “Yes!”We all attended
the Living Free Conference the past weekend at our church. During one of the sessions, Angie Smith shared the story of Abraham and his journey to Mt Moriah to sacrifice his son.After God abruptly stopped Abraham from killing Isaac, Abraham looked in the thicket and saw a ram, a perfect alternative to use as a sacrifice. And he named the place “The Lord Will Provide” (Gen. 22.13-14).While the tree limb doesn’t compare to the things God has in store for me, it did make me stop and consider the greater things perhaps I’ve missed along the way.How many provisions has God supplied for me thathave been right in front of my eyes, yet I’ve totally missed? How many rams have been sitting in the thicket, and I’ve been too busy with my daily routine that I’ve not noticed?Like Abraham, I’m confident that God WILL provide. But what I lack is the confidence that I will see and embrace all that He is providing.Father, I ask that You would make me ever aware of Your Presence and Your Provision in my life. Thank you for Your Ultimate Sacrifice who has freely given all that we need. ~AmenAnd Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them walked on together. Gen. 22.8Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/46018179@N00/25551515695/">leppre</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>