Lord, it is Too Much!
In Second Samuel chapter twenty-four, David, inspired by Satan, numbers the people and causes the anger of the Lord to arise. As we read the account the Lord sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but when he comes to the place where the Temple would be built, the Lord stops.
“And when the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, ‘It is enough; now restrain your hand.’ And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, ‘Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.’ …And David said, ‘To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people. Now Araunah said to David, ‘Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him. Look, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen for wood. …Then the king said to Araunah, ‘No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.”
2 Samuel 24: 16-17, 21-22, and 24a
The offerings that change history comes at great cost. In our own lives and ministries, we are called to give an offering to the Lord that costs us everything.
Now turn to the New Testament and look at Paul a man who changed his generation and everyone since. We can look at all the mighty things Paul did and in reality the majority of us who believe today are here as a result of his ministry. But the truth is he paid an incredible price.
“For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you are helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.”
2 Corinthians 1: 8-11
Did you hear exactly what Paul said? It is hard to imagine being so stretched that he would despair even of life! How many of us have or are currently going through something in which we feel the cost is simply too much? We are stretched to the breaking point and feel like we are at an end and can see no way forward!
Paul understood the importance of having people praying for him and acknowledged the importance of such prayer in these desperate times. These desperate times may appear to last for an eternity, but they don’t, and every season will change. Paul would go on to say:
“knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus. And will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.”
2 Corinthians 4: 14-15
Paul understood that there was more at stake and that as they endured through the dire situation and season, the grace poured out was impacting the lives of many. We often get stuck in our world and the problems we face. But if we could see things from Heaven’s perspective, there is so much more going on, and many more lives are on the line.
Paul continued:
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at things which are seen, but at things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4: 16-18
So in the midst of this unbearable situation, Paul declares that he did not lose heart. Paul understood that everything that is seen is temporal and all seasons must change. We must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
Now, let’s go to the story of Abraham and the offering of Isaac found in Genesis chapter twenty-two. As we read the account, Abraham, who waited until he was around 100 years old to see the birth of Isaac, is asked by the Lord to sacrifice his son. You can only imagine how Abraham could so easily have thought, “the cost is simply too much!” But Abraham never did! He had discovered the heart of the Lord and knew he could trust Him.
If we move forward in the story to where the angel stops Abraham and he then finds a ram supplied by the Lord for the sacrifice, look what happened:
“And Abraham called the name of the place, ‘The-Lord-will-provide; as it is said to this day, ‘In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
Genesis 22: 14
The location of this event was the Temple Mount, the same place that David would purchase and Jesus would show up as the Provision from Heaven. Now if we add some more details to the story:
“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’ Then the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
John 8: 56-58
Instead of being overwhelmed at the cost, Abraham began rejoicing in the Lord, and the Lord opened his eyes to see into the spiritual realm and see Jesus. “The Lord-will-provide” means that the Lord will show up and reveal Himself as the provision.
Abraham, by covenant, gave the Lord God everything, including his firstborn. Then by covenant right, he could demand of the Lord God His firstborn. Abraham’s faithfulness and obedience opened the door for the Lord to legally send Jesus as the Provision.
Jesus, the great I AM, is the perfect provision. There is a wonderful place that he calls us to where we look beyond the natural temporal circumstances and see the spiritual. Here we rejoice to see Jesus as our Provision.
So, while we may be going through a season that seems too great for us and the cost too much, if we can trust Him and fix our eyes on Him, what the Lord wants to do is always greater. Just like with David, Paul, and Abraham, the Lord had something greater in mind. One day the season will change, and we will stand on the other side; when we do, we will see the fruit of our sacrifice. But now is the time to rejoice! Yes, in the midst of the storm, we look not at the natural but the spiritual. And in the midst of what we are going through, there is a comfort He seeks to impart that we might have something for others. As we look from Heaven’s perspective, it is all about reaching and impacting others.
Always remember we can never outgive the Lord. When He gives, He gives the double portion, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing.
