Youth Camp Passion

Every time I read the story of Abraham I think of youth camp.

Abraham had incredible experiences with God… then went out and did something really dumb.

He would hear the covenant given by God, then go to Egypt and lie about his relationship with Sarah.

He would hear the promise of God that he and Sarah would have a son, then he slept with Hagar and Ishmael was born.

Abraham’s story is our story. Growing up I went to youth camp. By Thursday night you were pretty much free of sin and ready to take on the devil in the darkest corners of the planet.

By the next Monday I would do so many things that were just plain dumb I was sure I had lost my salvation.

That’s life with spiritual experiences. Powerful experiences are good, but they are not meant to be stand alone events. It is the walk with God that counts. It is Abraham in his later years, when Isaac is older, and he hears the voice of God again. This time that voice isn’t delivering any promise. It’s threatening to take it away.

“Sacrifice Isaac to me.”

And Abraham went into action. He had walked with God all those years. He knew the voice of God. He trusted God. Whatever God had in mind was up to God. No argument. Off he went with his son.

Spiritual experiences are part of the process. It is great to have those incredible encounters. They can help us on a journey of hearing the voice of God. But don’t that “youth camp passion” stay at that stage. Learn to walk with God.