What Are You Willing to Let Go Of?

What Are You Willing to Let Go Of?

      And here we are...Genesis Chapters 19-22 and Sodom and Gomorrah.These chapters are heavy. They're uncomfortable. They make us look at fear, attachment, obedience, and trust, especially when God's plan interrupts the life we were finally getting comfortable with.

    In Genesis 19, God shows mercy in the middle of destruction. Lot hesitates. He lingers. And the Scriptures say the angels grab him by the hand and pull him out because the Lord was merciful. Then there’s Lot’s wife.She looks back. Not because she forgot the warning, but because her heart was still there. She left physically, but emotionally she wasn't ready to release what she was losing. And sometimes obedience isn't just about walking away it's about not getting lost grieving what God has already said can't go with you.

    Genesis 20 brings us back to Abraham and once again, fear shows up. For the second time, Abraham says Sarah is his sister instead of his wife. Different place. Different king. Same fear. A partial truth used to protect himself rather than fully trust God.

And God steps in again.

He protects Sarah.

He warns Abimelech.

He keeps His promise.

   Scripture doesn't hide Abraham's fear because faith isn't about never struggling, it's about what we do when fear resurfaces.And this is where this story gets very personal for me.About fourteen years ago, I thought I was pregnant.

   Life had finally started to feel normal again. Our two boys were in school. I was figuring out who I was without babies attached to my hip. I was stepping into ministry in ways I had waited a long time for, women’s ministry, district girls ministry and I loved it. I felt like I was finally becoming who God had been shaping me to be. And when I thought I was pregnant....and I freaked out.

   It felt like starting over. I was afraid of losing the life I was finally stepping into. Afraid that everything God was building would change. It ended up just being a scare but not long after that, during a women's Bible study, God spoke to my heart about having another baby. He even gave me dreams of preaching behind a pulpit... holding that baby.

And I was terrified!!!!

But I talked with my husband. We prayed. And together we decided to try for one more.

And then it took forever. Almost a year of waiting. Every month hurt more than the last. The disappointment was crushing. I even questioned God. Why would You put this on my heart if it wasn't going to happen... I didn't understand the delay.

   BAnd then it did happen. And while it wasn't the little girl we hoped for, God gave us our third son. And yes my life changed.Ministry changed.Everything changed. But looking back now, I see it so clearly. That little boy was a catalyst. God used him to shift our lives, our ministry, and my heart in ways I never could have planned. Raising that sweet boy brought healing to places in my soul I didn't even realize were still wounded.

     Genesis 21 reminds us that God keeps His promises, even when the wait is long and confusing. And then Genesis 22 takes us to the mountain. God asks Abraham to place Isaac ,the promise, on the altar. Not because God wanted the sacrifice, but because He wanted Abraham's trust. God wasn't taking something away, he was showing Abraham who his provider really was.And right there, at the moment of surrender, God provides the ram.

Jehovah Jireh.The Lord will provide.

    So Here's what I know now... Sometimes what we fear losing is the very thing God uses to heal us. Sometimes surrender feels like starting over but it’s actually stepping into something more. And sometimes the interruption is the provision.

   God sees the whole story. He provides what we can’t. And God is always working even when the plan looks nothing like what we expected.

So Don't look back.

Don't let fear make the choice.

And Trust the God who provides.

Love Pastor Mandy

Ark of Hope Ministry 

Daily Reading Genesis 19-22