Genesis 12:1
12 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house…”
God says, “I have need of you, and if you allow me to use you, your return of the dividend itself will be much greater”.
Dividend– A dividend is an amount to be distributed some paid out of monies of investments.
It is all about the dividend and knowing that God is going to work out everything. God is not like man, He will always keep His word. Understand that God’s favor, mercy and grace is better than any money or gold. God gave and released a sacrifice on His dividend in John 3:16, an ultimate sacrifice. Nowadays, people expect you to do things they would never do themselves, right? They never practice what they preach. God practices what He expects you to do.
You may know most wealthy people to talk about their investments they’ve built in a portfolio. In the Kingdom you are investing in one greater than yourself. In Genesis chapter 12, God is giving Abraham an opportunity to reach a new dimension of greatness. God told Abraham to leave everything he knew and was familiar with…to sacrifice. There will never be any growth in your life if you cannot leave what’s familiar, and step into God’s purpose for your life! See, the return on your sacrifice is greater than the sacrifice itself. But there’s a twist: it seems as if the hardest thing to do is to receive God’s word on where He wants you to sacrifice. When God extends you, He will add to you, your stature and your bank account. Your days when doors would not open will now open for you. But there is always a trust factor with Him! Can you imagine being told you would have to kill your son? I know the first thought that popped in your mind…”The devil is a liar!”. Abraham trusted God so much that he overcame his emotions, possible ridicule from his wife, his son kicking and screaming, and self denial knowing he heard the voice of The Lord.
Genesis 22:1-11
Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”22 Then He said, “Take now 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.”3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad[a] and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.”Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.”
God will make you a promise, and then come back and ask for the same promise just to see if He can trust you. God has blessings your eyes have not seen or ears not heard, for your bloodline. When you praise God you realize that you are where you are because of God, and the blessings that you have comes from Him.
God wants the whole offering, not just a part of it. If things are always conveniently given, you are not sacrificing. When God asked Abraham for his son of promise, He didn’t let him do it in the comfort of his home. He had to travel and had time to think about it. Whenever God tells you to do something, make sure it is where God told you to do it. God will test your fate for your faith. He is always looking for vessels to use! God loves sacrifice because it shows the importance and value you put in things. You can’t have sacrifice where there is no obedience, and to have obedience there must be a sacrifice. Until next time my friend, be blessed.
-Bishop Clarence Langston
