Reading too fast

I heard Dr. Robert Smith say that we read our Bibles too fast. what he meant is that we hurry through the reading without stopping to consider what is being said. One example he gave was the passage in Genesis 22:2 - 4. The account of God telling Abraham to offer Isaac up as a burnt offering. Read it with me - slowly -

“Take your son,” He said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance."

Now, did you notice something important here? Not the instructions. Not the images given. Consider the last sentence - between verse 3 and 4 is three days. God does not disclose to us what took place in this painful journey that Abraham was taking. What was he thinking about? Did he have discussions with God about the promises He had made? Could he smile and enjoy Isaac?

Often God allows a time space in our lives. He promises something, He tests us, He seems to vacant and quiet. Time that we appear to suffer in our own loneliness. Yet, as we continue into this account we see that God was there all along. Abraham does all that God had commanded him to do - and then comes verse 11 - "But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven...." I have always loved God's Divine conjunctions - "BUT."

When it looked as if God was asking more than could be handled - "BUT."

Today muse over this passage of Scripture. Is God silent today? Has He promised and it seems that there is no answer? What time space are you going through today? Trust Him. He is always faithful.