City Life Starter

Written by Aisha Darwesh

The Word

⁶² Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. ⁶³ And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. ⁶⁴ And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel ⁶⁵ and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. ⁶⁶ And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. ⁶⁷ Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

–Genesis 24:62-67 (ESV)

⁶ And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. ⁷ And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” ⁸ Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

⁹ When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

–Genesis 22:6-10 (ESV)

¹ I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

–Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)

Aisha’s Analysis

Today’s verses pick up in which Isaac is meditating in a field and looks up to see the camels coming home with his soon-to-be wife. The previous mention of Isaac is found in Genesis 22, in which Isaac is bound and about to be offered as a sacrifice by his father Abraham. In Genesis 23, Isaac’s mother Sarah, dies. 

By this point in his life, Isaac has been through a lot. He survived a near-death experience and the loss of his mother. That Isaac was willing to be bound as an offering to God, and is now taking time to meditate during this difficult time of grief in his life, shows us that seeking God’s will was his top priority.

When he was on the chopping block, so to speak, Isaac witnessed God’s supernatural provision at just the right time. In today’s verses, we also see God’s supernatural provision for Isaac in the form of his bride, Rebekah. 

Rebekah demonstrated faith in God by joyfully leaving behind her family and childhood home in hopeful expectation of the future that awaited her with Isaac. God had been preparing her for this moment.  

No matter where you are along your journey with Christ, we can learn from Isaac and Rebekah’s story that trusting in God never disappoints. That being said, learning to trust God in a world that is constantly pushing Him out can be a challenge. Perhaps this is why we are called to be a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). 

Being a living sacrifice means that we do not conform to the patterns of this world. We are being conformed into the image of Christ. In the same way that Rebekah trusted in the servant (an allegorical picture of the Holy Spirit) to guide her along her journey, we are to trust God’s Spirit to guide us through life. In the same way that Isaac was meditating in the field and trusted in God for supernatural provision, we are to cultivate our relationship with God and allow Him to bring us what we need instead of chasing after it ourselves. 

God is worthy of our total trust and pursuit. 

Application

Is there any way you might be putting your relationship with God on the backburner? Like Rebekah, are you willing to leave behind your former way of life and step out into God’s glorious future for you? Like Isaac, are you willing to seek and obey God’s will instead of your own? 

As long as we are sticking to our old ways and pursuing our own pleasure, we’ll miss out on God’s best. However, if we decide to lay down our fears and trust Him completely, we’ll live in peace and unending satisfaction. 

For today’s application, take a moment to seriously ponder the above questions and make a decision to entrust your life to God as a living sacrifice. 

Prayer

Father God, I thank You for guiding me along Your perfect path for my life. Even when it doesn’t seem like it, I trust that You are with me. I’m here, Lord, awaiting Your instructions. Thank You for creating in me a new heart that is willing to obey You. Thank You for giving me Your Spirit to empower me to obey. I trust You completely. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.