Stress

Written by cycleguy on April 6th, 2018

We all have it.

Some have more of it than others.

Some give it more than others. 🙂

Some of you have had a Stress Test or know someone who has.  The American Heart Association defines a stress test, or a treadmill test, as “a way to help your doctor find out how well your heart handles its workload. As your body works harder during the test, it requires more fuel and your heart has to pump more blood. The test can show if there’s a lack of blood supply through the arteries that go into the heart.”

I’ve come to the earth-shattering, ground-shaking conclusion that stress is a fact of life. (How’s that for smarts?)  Pick out people in the Bible, and other than Jesus, probably no one had more stress than Abraham. His life was turned upside down by God’s call on his life and from there it seems like one stress button after another.

Get up and move to another land.

Lie that Sarai is your sister.

No promised child.

Have a child with Hagar with Sarai’s blessing.

Kick Hagar and Ishmael out.

Deal with Sarai’s whining.

Lie that Sarai is your sister.

Deal with Lot’s “love affair” with Sodom.

Have promised child (Isaac).

Then perhaps the greatest stress of all: offer Isaac on Mount Moriah as a sacrifice.

There is more but this last one mentioned…WOW!!  How did Abraham handle it? How did Isaac handle it? There is so much to learn from the life of Abraham and from this one incident alone. That is my topic for Sunday.  Hebrews 11:8-19

Prayers would be much appreciated.

 

8 Comments so far ↓

  1. Jeff says:

    I know what I would say to your God if he suggested I burn my child as a sacrifice to his glory. Same thing Hitchens would have told him. How perverted is your God?

    • cycleguy says:

      perverted? not at all. It was a test…one Abraham passed with flying colors. He put a stop to it before it ended up the way one would expect it to.

  2. Pam says:

    Prayers going up for your Sunday, Bill. Stress is such a catch-word today. Hadn’t thought about it in association with Biblical times. Great topic that everyone can relate to.

  3. Yes, Abraham sure endured some stressful times, yet it was his faith in God that got him through and declared as righteousness. Praying for you and your message, Bill!

  4. Betty Draper says:

    No pain, no gain, no stress, no growth.