January 10
Verse of the Day for January 10
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.Genesis 22:3 KJV
The Key of Beginnings · Day 10 of 31
Reflection · 4 min read
Rose Up Early
God asks Abraham for Isaac. It is the hardest sentence in Genesis and the text gives no record of the night that followed it.
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
Abraham rose up early in the morning. He saddled the donkey. He cut the wood. He took two young men and his son, and he went.
There is no speech. No wrestling recorded, no bargaining like the one he made over Sodom a few chapters earlier. Just a list of ordinary preparations done in order, early.
I have come to think the plainness is the point. When obedience is enormous, it still arrives as a series of small physical acts: get up, load the animal, cut wood, walk.
He could not do the whole thing that morning. Mount Moriah was three days away. He could only saddle a donkey.
He could not do the whole thing.He could saddle the donkey.
Whatever God has asked of you, today's portion of it is probably small and physical and unremarkable.
Rise early. Cut the wood. The three days will take care of themselves.
Carry this today
What small first act have you been postponing?
Pray
Read Genesis 22:1–5
1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 3And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
Keep praying
Reflection by Collins Asein, from the daily devotionals in the PrayerKey app. Bible text: King James Version.