Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” (John 20:29, NASB)
Some of the best golf instructional books have great pictures or illustrations. My favorite is Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. The book is a classic for golf instruction, due in part to the illustrations by Anthony Ravielli. The book was originally published in 1957 and was republished in 1985. Chapter Three is entitled “The First Part of the Swing” and has an illustration related to the swing plane. Hogan uses a pane of glass to represent the backswing plane of the golf swing. It is an illustration that sticks in my mind as I hit balls on the practice tee and play on the course.
God has given us pictures in his word to help us understand his intentions for our lives. Much like Mr. Hogan’s pane of glass, these pictures give us illustrations to go along with the instruction. God’s testing of Abraham is descriptive to the point of telling us how Abraham intended to sacrifice Isaac and how the young son asked where the lamb was.
Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So, the two of them walked on together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So, the two of them walked on together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. (Genesis 22:6-10)
While it would have been nice to have had a photographer on hand to capture the events of those times, the clarity of God’s word is all we need to establish our faith.We are left wondering if we would respond to God’s testing the way Abraham did. Paul wrote to both the Romans and the Corinthians that the old writings were assembled for our instruction. So when we read the accounts of what happened to Abraham, Isaac, and others, we should ask what we are to learn from them.
In the Gospels, Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Sheep gives us a clear picture of God’s desire and commitment to see the lost saved.
“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:4-7)
These vivid descriptions before, during and after the life of Jesus help us picture the message taught to us. Jonah being swallowed by the whale, the paralytic being lowered to Jesus through the roof, and Jesus suffering on the cross all paint a picture in our minds that could last a lifetime. While it would have been nice to have had a sketch artist or photographer on hand to capture the events of those times, the clarity of God’s word is all we need to establish our faith.
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Bill Euler
September 25, 2019
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.