In Genesis 22 God tells Abraham to journey to the mountain of Moriah and there build an altar to worship [God]. But this is no ordinary worship time. God instructs Abraham to take his son Isaac, for he is to be the offering. And though God never intends to let Abraham go through with this, the incident illuminates some important truths about worship.

Ironically, one of the main insights comes from the boy Isaac himself. As they reach the appointed place and build an altar there, he says to his father, “The fire and the wood are here…but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

In other words, “Everything seems like it’s in place, but where’s the sacrifice? That’s always a key question when it comes to real and meaningful worship.

We’d do well in our worship to ask the same question Isaac asked: Where is the sacrifice?

Sometimes in our worship meetings the “fire” and the “wood” are there—in other words, outwardly everything seems to be in place, and we think we’re set for “great worship.” A skilled music team perhaps—or above-average songs or an enthralling preacher. But something is missing—where is the sacrifice?

What I am suggesting is there must be times in our worship services when we cease to say, “Please give me more,” and we start to say, “It’s time I gave You more.” Moments in which we journey from “Here I am; meet me”—as wonderful a prayer as that can be—and move on to complete the integrity of worship by crying, “Here I am; send me.”

from Facedown