When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Genesis 22:9-12 (NIV)

There can’t be many things worse than losing your own child. How terrible it must be for the parents of the soldiers who’ve been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan – their pride and joy being murdered in a far-off country by anonymous people who care nothing for their victims nor for the sanctity of human life. Or for the parents of Madeleine McCann and thousands of other sets of parents in a similar situation, who’s child was abducted from their hotel room while on a family holiday in Portugal – how awful not knowing what’s become of their daughter (at the time of writing, Madeleine’s still missing). Then there’s the young people killed in road accidents – so often the victims of someone who’s had a bit too much drink and in a reckless moment, people are killed. For the mum and dad, the effect of that moment lasts for the rest of their lives as they wrestle with the pain and grief of losing their child.

My own personal experience in this area is, thankfully, very limited. We once lost our son for several hours when he was about three years old. While the police were out searching for him, my mind went into something like a black hole – until eventually sheer relief when we got the call that he’d been found safe and well. A nice old couple had found him and taken him to the local health centre. Seeing him there playing with a teddy bear was a moment I’ll never forget.

On another occasion, one of our daughters, then aged eight, was knocked over by a car when she’d run out into the road on her way home from school. We were told that the impact from the car had caused her to be flung into the air and then she slid along the road for about ten metres. Miraculously, she suffered only minor injuries but I’ve thought many times what might have been.

When God tested Abraham, He used the most precious thing in Abraham’s world – the life of his only son whom he’d waited so many years to have. This wasn’t some kind of game – Abraham knew that he had to obey God and he was fully prepared to sacrifice Isaac, as he indeed demonstrated. One can only speculate about what was going on in his mind and emotions at the time. How amazing that he was prepared to go this far – I find his faith and trust in God so challenging. What’s the most precious thing in your world? Could you let it go if God asked you?

By the way, wasn’t there someone else who sacrificed their only son?