It’s Saturday and I’m on call. I’m the nursing supervisor for a home health agency that provides certified nursing assistants to help the elderly in their homes. As a supervisor, my role to ensure the safety of not only the employee but the patient. Before the patient would begin service, I would meet and find the needs of the client. These services were private pay as Medicare doesn’t pay for the daily bath, dressing, or preparing a meal for a senior citizen or cleaning of the home. On this particular day, the answering service calls and I are dealing with a distraught, upset client. She’s whispering, and I think I hear, “She’s stealing from me!” Now I’m usually a pretty good problem solver. It was nothing to troubleshoot calls to include removing a foley catheter at 3:00 in the morning over the telephone but how does one troubleshoot this situation. I had to be bold and go to the home of the client.
Bold is the third characteristic of a born-again Christian. Bold’s defined as a person showing an ability to take risks; confident and courageous. When I think of bold in biblical terms, beloved, we have so many examples. David and Goliath, Daniel in the lion’s den. But I’m challenged by Abraham and his faithful bold walk with the Lord. I would like to focus on a later time in his life after Issac has been born.
Abraham after he father’s the promised child from Sarah, he hears the Lord asking him to sacrifice his son to prove his love and devotion to God. We read in Genesis 22:1-2, “Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, ‘Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Issac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Abraham boldly prepares for this mission to follow God. Do you boldly follow God or do you procrastinate? There’s absolutely no procrastination. We read in the scripture the very next morning, the journey began and on the third day, Abraham saw the place where he’s to sacrifice his son. Preparation and worship occur, Abraham, ask the men who accompanied him to stay with the donkeys while they worship the Lord. It is not covered in Genesis 22:5 what Abraham asked God but I dare to say it was a bold prayerful worship time.
“He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Genesis 22:5
Beloved, what bold thing is the Lord asking you to do? How often do you worship the Lord? What does your prayer life look like?
David Jeremiah states in the Jeremiah Study Bible, “Abraham by stating we will worship and we will come back that they would return. That somehow God would bring his son back to life after offering him for no one had ever seen a resurrection. Nevertheless, he trusted God to do the impossible. Maybe because he had already saw the impossible with Issac’s birth.”
Genesis 22:7-8, “But Issac spoke to Abraham, his father and said, “My father!” and he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire, and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My Son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”
Beloved, Abraham boldly offered his son. I don’t know about you but as a mother, my sons are my life. I trust God with everything but do I? God questioned Abraham’s love. Is he questioning yours? What are your loyalties? Where are you spending your time? Do you love yourself as much as He loves you? Boldly, Abraham hears the angel, Genesis 22:11-12. Don’t harm Issac, there is a ram in the thicket for you to boldly sacrifice. Abraham names the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide. Because Abraham did not withhold his son and boldly offered him in verses 15-18 he receives the blessings of the Lord.
That morning I drove to San Diego and I boldly confronted the employee, here I am 5’2 shaking my finger at a 5’8 woman. I had to call the police and replace the employee. I was fortunate that the patient and I were safe. For the few sad stories in home health, I have just as many wonderful caregiver stories. I only share this one to share how bold I was to come to the aid of our client that morning.
Beloved, the third characteristic of a born-again believer’s boldness. What do you need to do to add this to your life?
Father God, I boldly come to your throne of grace and I pray that as believers we boldly share the good news. That daily we seek to be salt and light to those around us. I pray for those that need to boldly put you first and to sacrifice what might be standing in the way of sharing your love with others. Where would we be if Abraham had not followed you by sacrificing his son? Thank you, Lord, for sacrificing your son.
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This post is part of a 31 day series on the Characteristics of a Believer. I am so glad that you are here. To read all of the posts in this series, click here.
