Fiction Friday: God Sees

This week Fiction Friday is hosted by Catrina over at A Work in Progress. Stop by to read more Friday Fiction. We would love for you to join in!



God Sees


The father and son walked in silence for the most part.

The climb was rather difficult and the sun was baking them from the inside out it seemed. Sweat was a constant drip from the father’s forehead. Progress was impeded by the need for frequent stops to hydrate themselves.

The young boy watched his father. He helped him with his canteen. He made sure his walking stick was close by. He deliberately walked a little slower so that his father, well on in years, could set his own pace.

The servants watched the exchange of father and son from a distance. They wondered in silence why the old man had insisted on such a long trip at his age, but held silent approval for the devotion between the unlikely duos.

The sun climbed higher. The temperature became unbearable, but yet weary group trudged along. Two days and they were still working their way to the top of the mountain.

The father was silent, but inside, he was talking~ talking to His God, the navigator of this trip.

When the sun reached its highest point on the third day, the father stopped and told the servants to make camp. The two were more than happy to oblige. Retrieving water from the nearby stream at this point sounded like a gift from heaven.

But the father and son set out again to reach the mountain’s highest point.

The father began his silent communication again. After a few minutes by themselves, the son could not contain his curiosity any more. He had asked a few questions the first day, but only learned they were going to worship. But now, they were nearing their destination and still no lamb.

Had his father finally lost it? He was well on in years. In fact, he was decades older than the fathers of most kids his age. Had he become feeble in mind as well as body?

So, the boy, in step with his father, asked the question plaguing him for 3 days now.
“Father?”
“Yes, my son.”
“We have flint and wood, but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”

Without missing a step, his father replied, “Son, God will see to it that we have what we need for this sacrifice.”

Nothing else!
But, his mind was a frenzy of activity.
“What was he thinking?” Surely God wouldn’t ask this of him!!!!”

But in his heart of hearts he knew. He knew because He knew his God’s voice.

Isaac well knew the events surrounding his birth, and he well knew that once his father had spoken to Yahweh, there was nothing else.

“Hmmmm,” Isaac thought, “Strange use of words from my father.” They had traveled three days to the Mountain that meant “to see”, and his father said, “God will see to it.”

Another half hour later and they were at the mountain’s height. In silence Abraham and Isaac stacked the wood for the burnt offering.

When the task was done, Abraham felt a pain in his chest like none he had ever known.

He held his hand to his forehead to scan the horizon, there could not be a mistake of missing anything. He strained to see what was not there with every fiber of his being. Every direction, methodically he looked and made a complete circle.

Nothing.

His steps heavy with remorse, Abraham went to his son. In an instant, the old man engulfed his son in an embrace that communicated the brevity of the situation.

Isaac now knew the purpose of the trip.

Panic set in at first, but then his father took his face in his hands and looked directly into his eyes. Not a word was said, but volumes were spoken.

It was Isaac’s first time to actually comprehend the faith of his aged father.
He was surprised his first instinct was not to run, but it wasn’t.

As Abraham embraced him and kissed his cheek, the son wanted nothing more than to please his father, but now, he wanted to please Jehovah also. He made a slight motion of his eyes toward the rope. Abraham slowly took the rope and began to tie it around his son. Tears of grief dripped as freely as the perspiration had previously.

Isaac shook a little with fear, but his resolve was strengthened by his new faith in his father’s God.

The previous words of his father echoed in his mind. “God will see to it.” He knew the phrase meant “God sees and knows what you need and He will take care of it”.

Isaac was afraid his faith was not as strong as his father’s because in that moment he felt as maybe God was missing something.

But the two prepared in silence, more so in their hearts than what they did with their hands.

The moment arrived.

Isaac was on the altar, bound, with eyes closed.

He was afraid to breathe.

Abraham’s chest tightened again. His love for his son screamed and begged him to stop this nonsense.

His faith was strong and silent.

Faith won.

He raised the dagger over his head.

In the millisecond before he was to plunge the knife into his beloved son, he heard the familiar voice. “Abraham! Abraham!”

In a flood of welcome relief, Abraham answered and lowered his hand, “Yes, I’m listening!”

Isaac opened his eyes. Together they saw it~ Yahweh’s provision. A ram was caught by its horns in a thicket.

Once again, the old man’s eyes were shedding tears freely.

His God, who spoke personally to Abraham, told him, “Don't lay a hand on that boy! Don't touch him! Now I know how fearlessly you fear God; you didn't hesitate to place your son, your dear son, on the altar for me.”

The father and son embraced again, but this time with floods of joy and relief.


Abraham named the place for Jehovah Jireh, the God who sees to it that our needs are provided for.

As the hot sun was easing down the two came to the camp where the servants waited. Food was prepared and the four made ready for bed.

Abraham’s steps were much lighter than the previous days. He was more confident in His God than ever. And now he knew that his son, the promised of God, had seen the wonder and majesty of his Creator as well.

He lay on his mat that night with only one concern, and that was “How do I tell Sarah?”


Isaac lay a few feet away from his father and smiled. His father had been right after all. God did see and provide what they needed.

God sees!
..............................................................

I wrote this today in faith, believing for my daughter and her family that God sees and He WILL provide for them because they have withheld nothing from Him.

love you all,
blessings,
dorinda