Bible reading for 40.Day 2025 | Genesis 22:1-18

At the age of 75 years old, God called Abraham to come out and move out of his household to a place that God was going to show him. God said:

“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you… and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)

Abraham waited for five years, 10 years, 15, 20 years. It seemed that it was not going to happen according to what God had said. At the age of 85, Abraham and his wife Sarah decided to “help” God to fulfil His vision with their wisdom, ability and smartness. Sarah gave her Egyptian slave to Abraham so that the vision could be fulfilled when he was 86.

So Abraham had a son Ishmael, and we see that from the time he was 86 to 99, the Bible never recorded anything about the family. It seemed that the family was doing well. Many times, like Abraham, we do our work, we have our events, outreaches, etc. We fulfil the calendar of our church and it seems to be good.

We continue to do the same old thing day in, day out. We believe we are fulfilling the vision of God. Singapore is meant to be the Antioch of Asia. And in order for us to fulfil that calling, we must have another level of commitment.

Then came the time God spoke to Abraham about the covenant. Abraham was now 99 years old and Sarah, 90. It was a hope lost; it was impossible to fulfil that vision.

Takeaways

My first point is total dependence upon God. Despite what their carnal minds could not imagine, God brought His promise to pass: An heir from Abraham and Sarah’s own loins.

This brings me to the second point: Total obedience to God. In Genesis 22:2, God tested Abraham. He told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, “your only son, whom you love” on Mount Moriah. Sometimes what God asks us to do seems to be ridiculous, demanding, unreasonable.

Abraham would have thought: “God, are You out of Your mind? I have waited for 25 years. You have given me Isaac, to fulfil my calling as a father of many nations. And right now you are asking me to sacrifice Isaac?”

For Abraham it was not just sacrificing Isaac, it was giving up the vision God had given him, giving up the most precious gift God had given him.

Yet Abraham obeyed without question. My third point is total surrendering to God.

Sometimes what God asks us to do seems to be ridiculous, demanding, unreasonable.

Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac at the altar. Isaac meant everything to him: Vision, desire, ambition. When we prepare to depend upon God in total obedience and total surrender, it is at the top of the mountain that you will experience that God is Jehovah Jireh.

Genesis 22:15-18 reads:

“The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven second time and said, ‘I swear by myself,’ declared the Lord, ‘that because you have done this and not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.”

God added:

“Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Beyond what we imagine

I think about my life: 30 years ago, when I came out of prison, a preacher was preaching and he gave an altar call. I came to the front and I told God: “I have no education. I don’t have skill. All my skills are illegal activities. But I think, God, if this new life can glorify Your name, I surrender to you.”

At that time, God never brought me up. He humbled me and took away all the masks that I’d put on for years, and healed my heart. And from nothing, just because of my obedience to God in following His commandments, today I have all things. I have a beautiful family, a ministry that is well sought after.

So when you give everything to God, God will be able to take your ministry and your life beyond what you can imagine. By total dependence, total obedience and total surrender to God, you will receive the blessing of God, not just for yourself, but it will flow to the next generation.

In 2023, I was diagnosed with cancer. They found a tumour in my pancreas, and I went for a 15-hour operation.

Right now, I only have two-and-a-half digestive organs: half a stomach, a large intestine and a liver. Yet today, God has used my life in greater ways and expanded my ministry beyond what I can even imagine.

So when you go All In, you can expect that God will say, “I will do amazing things beyond what you can imagine.”

Let us pray:

Father, we want to thank You for Your word. I pray we will learn to depend upon You in total obedience and surrender to you. We thank you, God, that you have given the leaders a team that is All In. We want to see the fulfilment of Singapore as the Antioch of Asia. So, God, bless my brothers and sisters. It is not going to be easy, but I pray that they will experience Your love, Your grace and Your amazing power. Lord, enable us to place our lives and everything we have at the altar so that we can experience what You say in Your Word: “Tomorrow, I am going to do amazing things among you.” (Joshua 3:5) We pray this in the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Reflect:

1. Have we genuinely lived a life of dependence on God? What do we put our trust in?

2. Have we been totally obedient to God? Have we made excuses or lost our temper? How can we live a life of complete obedience to the one we call our Lord?

3. Have we surrendered our lives to God? What have we held back from Him? What would it take for us to release it all to Him?

Pray: 

1. That we may truly live a life that is fully dependent on God, trusting Him alone for everything in our lives, not attempting to “help” Him by taking things into our own hands.

2. That we may live in complete obedience to God, in the big and the small things, that our lives may be pleasing to the one who desires obedience more than sacrifice.

3. That we may surrender all to God, every thing and person we hold dear, trusting that the Lord is Lord over everything and everyone.

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