Today I had what can only be described of as a real special privilege to be able to speak/preach at the dedication of Callum Smith.

It was great to see he proud parents, Malcolm and Abby, and join with them in praying for the life of Callum; with 2 such committed parents, we all look on in excitement to see how the journey of Callum and God pan out together.

Today was a special event with many people traveling from various places to stand in support with Malcolm and Abby, there was even a great track from D2 which doesn’t happen at every baby’s dedication.

As someone who has known Mal and Abby for years, first as young people, then friends before becoming GYFC staff workers; it is very exciting to see them now as a family and how god is continuing to bless them in their life.

This morning I spoke on Genesis 22, where Abraham is asked to sacrifice Issac, to gibe Issac back to God! Something in this passage struck me and I wished to pass it on to Mal and Abs.

When looking at this passage I have always been amazed at the dedication shown by Abraham and he looks to be doing the unthinkable. This week when I looked, however, I saw something different. I saw the centrality of verse 8 and noticed, when questioned by Issac about what they were going to sacrifice, that Abraham said ‘Yahweh ra’ah’ which has been translated as ‘God will provide’, or should be better translated as ‘God will see to it’.

Abraham knew God was in control, and he had total trust in his confusion. It does not end there, however. At the end of this story, just before Abraham kills Issac, when the knife is ready to fall; God calls Abraham to stop.

I think here Abraham shows greater faith. These were words he was wanting to hear, he would have wondered if it was his imagination, he must have considered just going ahead with the plan, he must have wondered if he was trying to take the easy way out, did he think ‘God has told me to do this … this new voice or just my hope’ – but he stops, he trusts God again, and looks up. He sees a ram to sacrifice and we know the rest of the story.

Abraham had a choice, he could continue to do it himself, or to trust it to God. He trusted God.

As parents I think Abraham shows us here the hardest of all things to do. Abraham trusts God for Issac. All the time as parents we wish to do things for our children, to make it all better; but the best, and yet the hardest, thing to do is to trust God for and with them. Then, and I would say only then, do they receive the full blessing that God has for them.

Today I have been reminded that ‘my’ children are God’s children and that the best thing at all that I can ever do for them is to trust that God has them in his hands.

Today, in the silence of my heart, I gave my children back to God!