Worship. We tend to think of it as something upbeat that begins and ends on a Sunday morning. But the first time the word “worship” is found in Scripture, it refers to something quite different.
Instead of being upbeat, the worship described in Genesis 22, is weighty and heart-rending.
And instead of being an isolated event one can enjoy and then walk away from, the worship described in here encompasses all of the worshiper’s life.
You see, shortly after God gave Abraham and Sarah their miracle child, Isaac, He asked Abraham to sacrifice that child as a burnt offering on Mt. Moriah. Early the next morning, Abraham set out with his son and servants. And when they drew close to the designated place, verse five says, “Abraham said to his young men, “stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there. We will worship, and come back to you.”
What Abraham was prepared to do on that hill was heart-wrenching and sacrificial. Yet he called it worship. This preaches a truth that, perhaps, our Sunday morning worship sets fail to get across, sometimes.
True worship isn’t pretty. It’s raw and costly. Worship is sacrifice.
In this chapter of Abraham’s story, we find two such examples of sacrificial worship—and I believe that studying them can help us identify the many opportunities we have to worship God everyday.
ONE. We worship God when we’re willing to sacrifice what matters to us because God matters more.
For years, Abraham and Sarah had dreamed of having a child of their own, to no avail. But then, in their old age, God promised that He’d give them a miracle son and that, through him, their descendants would be as numerous as the stars.
Isaac was their dream—and God’s promise—come true. Can you image how much they must have loved him and doted on him? Can you imagine how much of their lives probably revolved around their young son? I believe this was rightfully so. Isaac was a gift from God—and that meant he should have been loved and protected by his parents.
Yet Abraham’s willingness to lay him on the altar was an acknowledgment of two important truths:
First, God is meant to be the highest treasure of our hearts. God gives us many gifts in this life, but the greatest gift is God Himself. As long as He remains first in the order of our affections, our love for earthly blessings remains good and healthy. But the moment we start valuing and prioritizing God’s gifts over God Himself, idolatry sets in and we lose our way.
I think this is why Genesis 22 begins this part in Abraham’s story by saying, “God tested Abraham…” Perhaps the question at hand was, “Who do you love more, Abraham? God or God’s gifts?”
It’s a question we ought to be asking ourselves, as well.
Abraham’s actions proved that love for God took first priority in his heart and life. This is why God’s angel intervened in verse 12, saying, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
Second, God’s hands are the safest place for our earthly treasures to be. As I mentioned before, Isaac was a gift from God. And rightfully, he should have been loved and protected by his parents. Yet, obediently placing Isaac in the Lord’s good hands, was actually the safest and most loving thing Abraham could have done for his son.
This is helpful to remember. Though it may sometimes feel as daunting as Abraham’s sacrifice, when we stop trusting our self-efforts to protect the people and things we love and, instead, entrust them to the protection of mighty God, our loved ones are in far better hands.
The God who provided a ram in the thicket to protect Isaac, will be the Provider for us and our loved ones, as well.
While God is not asking us to sacrifice a child in this literal way, today, He might be asking us to sacrificially lay down our agendas to spend time with Him or to entrust the people we love to His hands and plan, instead of trying to control everything ourselves. These are things we ought to prayerfully consider.
When we trust God with our earthly treasures and seek Him first, we are declaring the value and worthiness of our God. We are worshiping.
TWO. We worship God when we sacrifice our need to understand before we trust.
In Genesis 22:5, Abraham said, “The boy and I will go over there. We will worship, and come back to you.” That last phrase is interesting. If Abraham was going to sacrifice his son on that mountain, why did he say they would worship and then they would return?
Was Abraham just saying that so his servants wouldn’t try to hinder his obedience?
Did Abraham believe, ahead of time, that God was going to stop him from doing the unthinkable?
We don’t know exactly that what was going through Abraham’s mind in that moment, but Hebrews 11:17-19 gives us some insight: “By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his only born son, to whom it was said, “Your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac,” concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead…”
Abraham didn’t understand exactly what God was doing in this situation. And he didn’t know how God was going to work things out.
But he knew that God had promised him descendants through Isaac. So, he trusted and obeyed before he understood all the details.
This is particularly convicting to me. So often, when I’m in difficult and confusing circumstances, I want God to explain to me what He’s doing so that I can trust Him. But the truth is, like Abraham, I already have promises from God.
He has promised to be with me and never forsake me.
He has promised to work everything for good.
He has promised that nothing will derail His plan.
This means that, even though I may not understand what God is doing or how He’s going to work things out, I still have every reason to go ahead and trust Him.
The same is true for all of us, as believers. And when we follow Abraham’s example of trusting before we understand, we are offering God a sacrifice of worship. In practice, we are declaring that God is worthy of our trust and that all his promises are good.
So, in what difficult and confusing situation do you need to offer God this sacrifice of worship?
Where do you need to trust the promises of God before you can see how He’s going to work things out?
Worship is so much more than upbeat music on a Sunday morning. It’s a lifestyle of walking through life with faith in and love for our always worthy God.
No matter what challenges we find ourselves navigating, may we take the opportunity for this kind of worship, today.
This devotion is based on one of the Scriptures from my three year reading plan: “The Whole Counsel of Scripture.” To receive a copy of the first year’s reading plan (and future reading plans when they become available), sign up for the email list below. Hope you’ll follow along!
Written by Paige K. Burhans
©2026 Paige K. Burhans. All rights reserved.
Scriptures taken from the World English Bible and the World English Bible British Edition. Public Domain.
