"We are never free until we are detached. Holy detachment comes when we live not for our wishes or for another human or for our future, but only for God. He is our life. If my first allegiance is to Jesus, then I can have a holy detachment from other people and other things that enables me to obey Jesus and therefore keep those other relationships clean." (Dennis Kinlaw, this day with the master, Zondervan Publishing, 2002, October 23 devotional)
Scripture from Genesis 22:1-19 where God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac. After a three day journey to the mountain where the sacrifice was to take place, and Isaac was tied to the altar, and Abraham had raised his knife to slay him...only then did the angel of God speak and tell him, "Don't lay a hand on the boy! Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son." (Gen 22:12)
Abraham knew the Lord would provide...and he did. After the test, a ram was caught in a nearby bush and was sacrificed instead of Isaac. However, the point is not missed that if the angel had not stopped Abraham, he would have killed his only son in obedience to God. What faith! May my allegiance to Jesus be strong enough to enable me to do whatever God asks of me, knowing His way is the Best way!
