Genesis 22:15–18 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have 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. 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.”

What has God told you to do that you have not done yet? Why the delay? You are not sure it was God’s voice you heard. If that is the case then there is nothing to do. But if you are certain, you need to act. It is possible to be certain because Jesus said: “The watchman opens the gate for him, (the shepherd) and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. (John 10:3-4) Once you recognize his voice you can also know you are not being asked to fulfill the task by yourself because he will go ahead of you.

Obedience begins with small acts. The Lord knows just what stage you are in your relationship with Him and your assigned task will be uniquely designed for you to get to the next level. Abraham was not asked to slay his son on his first encounter with God. He was first asked to get up and move with his family to another place. That was huge but it was not on the same scale as sacrificing his child.

In the case of Abraham we see that every act of obedience came with blessings unimaginable at the time God gave the instructions. Not only that, the blessings would continue to future generations. I do not want to stand in the way of my children being blessed. Do you?  At one point when I was faced with my own inaction, the Holy Spirit pointed out to me:

“The Spirit of God comes in his fullness when we are in a posture of obedience; when everything is laid on the altar of sacrifice, nothing withheld. When it has cost you everything you hold dear. Nothing you ever possess is more important than your obedience – to be where I want you to be and do what I want you to do at my set time.”