Going Beyond Our Natural Self
Thursday, February 29
Going Beyond Our Natural Self
And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” Genesis 22:5
In the story of Abraham and Isaac’s journey to worship, Abraham instructs his servant and the donkey to stay behind while he and Isaac ascend to worship. Here, Abraham’s actions illustrate a deeper truth—he is preparing to transition into the spiritual realm. He understands that the physical cannot accompany him where the spiritual dwells, for God is Spirit. Thus, Abraham recognizes that to reach greater heights in his relationship with God, he must leave certain things behind—including people, as indicated by his leaving the servant behind.
While faith is crucial, accessing it often requires going beyond the physical and stepping into the supernatural realm. The physical represents the visible and tangible aspects of our existence, much like the donkey in Genesis 22. In contrast, the spiritual encompasses the unseen and intangible, such as our connection with God.
Just as the servant and the donkey were unaware of Abraham’s divine appointment, there are times when we must leave behind the physical trappings of our lives to answer God’s call. When God beckons us, He desires our presence—not the material possessions or worldly attachments we may attempt to bring along.
Today, let us be willing to go beyond our natural selves, shedding the weight of earthly concerns and embracing the spiritual journey set before us. In doing so, we position ourselves to experience the fullness of God’s presence and purpose in our lives. Let us look beyond what you can see and begin to see the unseen.
God is not asking you to treat pain as though it were pleasure, or grief as though it were joy, but to bring your hardship into comparison with heavenly glory and receive His strength to endure. Inside of us we are being renewed day by day.
As we fix our focus on the glorious hope of what is to come, understand it our future is better than our present circumstances. For this reason, we set our minds on the unseen for it is worth the journey ahead. For what you see right now is only temporary. Go beyond yourself and step into the realm of God.