SWIFT.....

Swift is when something happens quickly or promptly and I want to talk about that this week. The Lord began to speak to me about being swift to obey… It is an area where many of us struggle but one person who exemplifies what it means to be swift in obedience is Abraham. I say this because the instructions he was given were not exactly the sort of things you would have wanted to do swiftly yet he obeyed those instructions swiftly. 

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. 

Genesis 22:3 NKJV

When you read this, it sounds absolutely normal but this is a loaded verse. Why? Well, if you read the previous verse, God had just told Abraham the day before to go and sacrifice the son he had waited for, for 99 years!!!!

I would have understood if he decided to spend quality time with the boy for a week or two; or even a few days. My daughter was talking to her Dad recently and said this, “I like to execute tasks immediately because I have noticed that the longer I delay a task, the more difficult it becomes to carry out the task”. It struck me when she said this and it is true; and that was exactly what Abraham did.

He didn't try to think through the instruction. Nope. He just obeyed the instruction early the next morning. The Bible talks about Abraham’s thinking in Hebrews.

[17] By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, [18] of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” [19] concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

Hebrews 11:17-19 NKJV

The NLT says that Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

Abraham simply fell back on what he knew of God; of his person, his character and his word and he concluded that God would bring that word to pass and could be trusted though he had no idea how this would happen. 

The Message Translation says:

By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God. Acting in faith, he was as ready to return the promised son, his only son, as he had been to receive him—and this after he had already been told, “Your descendants shall come from Isaac.” Abraham figured that if God wanted to, he could raise the dead. In a sense, that’s what happened when he received Isaac back, alive from off the altar.

Hebrews 11:17-19 

Abraham just decided, God keeps his word and so he obeyed. Now, the swiftness in obedience is another aspect of fruitfulness and if you want to be fruitful this year, you must learn to be swift to obey. You must learn swiftness in executing tasks this year. A company once asked my husband's company for a quote for a job they needed done. By the time my husband's office got back to the company with their response less than 2 hours later, another company that responded swiftly had already gotten the job! 

And we see it again with Abraham…

So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. 

Genesis 21:14 NKJV

This verse does not sound so bad, but it is another loaded verse when you read the previous verse. God had just told Abraham the previous day to send away his first son Ishmael. This is a man who did not have children until his wife convinced him to take her maid and he did and got a son; Ishmael. Think of the joy of having his own Son, the love he had for his boy and their times of fellowship as Abraham taught his son about God and Ishmael knew his father loved him. 

Then EARLY one morning without notice, Abraham sent his first son and his mother away into the wilderness. In the previous verse, we learn that Abraham was greatly displeased that Sarah would ask him to send Ishmael and his mother Hagar away. Then God told Abraham to do what Sarah had said and the very next morning Abraham obeyed. He didn't argue with God, he just obeyed instead of waiting for a convenient time to obey like many of us would have done. Often, we drag our feet when it is time to act. We might procrastinate using one excuse or the other, but when we do, we are the losers. We have no idea what our swiftness would have accomplished. 

I said being swift to obey is a crucial aspect of fruitfulness. God is a God of precision and when he tells you to do something, he does not mean, do it at your own convenience. He means do it right away. Do it NOW; and your ability to obey swiftly affects the benefits connected to that word. When God told Joseph to take Mary, his wife and the baby (Jesus) and flee to Egypt, the benefit of that word lay in Joseph's ability to obey swiftly. Hanging back would have meant sure death for the Messiah but obeying God and/or instructions you are given will give you an advantage. Being swift helps you to move at the speed of God and will keep you on top. 

So, do you want to stay on top of the game? If you answer is yes, it is time to become swift. 

See you next week 💓