Ralph Palmen

August 31, 2015

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, 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.” GENESIS 22:1

A call to HIGH GROUND is not always a glorious and joyous occasion. It was certainly not the case for Abraham. His call to HIGH GROUND was in the form of giving up the one he loved more than anything, his son Isaac.

As I have read and reflected on this story, what amazes me most is that Abraham rose up and started his journey the very next day. The only explanation I can think of for this immediate obedience is that Abram had been following God for one hundred years. He must have learned that God had a plan and reason for everything he did, and though he did not understand, he was willing to trust God.

When they came to the mountain and reached the HIGH GROUND God had set for him, Abraham build an altar, arranged the wood, took his son, and placed him on the altar. When he took his knife to slay Isaac, God spoke. He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.”

God always knows what we love the most, and it seems that is always what God asks us to give up for Him. Finding the HIGH GROUND in our lives is accompanied with a level of complete surrender to God’s will and way. When we are willing to yield, amazing things happen.

“Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven and said, “By myself have I sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son. In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; your descendants shall possess the gates of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

When we have a HIGH GROUND experience, God often looks into our heart to see what we love the very most. Then he wants to see if we are willing to give it up to follow Him. When we give it up, He will then take that seed and multiply it over and over again. The little bit we give up produces a great blessing in the lives of others.

What do you love the most? Has God taken you to HIGH GROUND and asked you to give it up?