In Genesis 22:15-18, we read the end of a story known well to most of us–the story of Isaac’s binding by his father, Abraham. God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son, and because of Abraham’s faithfulness, God spares Isaac and declares Abraham the father of all the nations of the earth.
Since this pandemic began, I believe we have been crying out like Abraham at that altar. We ask the maker of that mountain to please make another way, to deliver us, to restore us. We don’t know the way at present. There are so many uncertainties. But one thing we can rely on is that God is with us. God will provide, just as God did for Abraham.
God is providing us with a vaccine. God is providing us with a decrease in the rates of infections. God is providing a way out of the darkness, revealing our faith’s depth in this crisis to give us hope. May we hold onto that hope in the promise that God made to Abraham and that God fulfills in us during these difficult times. We must hold fast to our faith. We may not always know the way, but God is there reminding us, “You are my beloved, and I will never abandon you!”
This message is an excerpt from a Women of the ELCA blog by Jennifer Michael. Today we remember Peter and Paul, Apostles.
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