Genesis 22:2 (NLT)
2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

Acts 5:20 (NLT)
20 “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”

What a juxtaposition. God and his angel seemingly on opposite ends of the equation. God’s message though is not one of death, but one of life, real life, the way it’s meant to be. God is telling Abraham in no uncertain terms that he must give up his world to see the world through God’s eyes. He must decrease himself to increase God. He must purge his traditional view of God created by man and just be with Him, drop the pretense, recognize the gulf, admit the love and power.

He must have faith enough to listen.God tests us and our faith to strengthen our faith and to cause us to submit to his will. He knows this is the way for us, we fight it.

Matthew 5:48 (NLT)
48 “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

The only way to get there is through God. We can’t do it ourselves because we just can’t be God, can’t imagine God for how amazing He is. We think to small, God forces us to live big.

It’s not an easy path – look at what he put Abraham through – I wouldn’t want to have that direction given to me.

Matthew 24:13 (NLT)
13 “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”