Good Morning Sunshine! Look Again, It’s Caught In The Thicket! A Ram In The Bush!

Genesis 22:11–13 ~ “But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ He replied, ‘Here I am.’ ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy,’ He said… ‘Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son.’ Abraham looked up, and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns.”

It’s Time to Take a Look at The Covenant Carriers, That Went Ahead of You, they went on a Journey from Altar to Encounter.” Over the next three weeks we are going to be walking through Abraham’s Altar, Isaac’s Wells, and Jacob’s Ladder as they were “Covenant Carriers: They went on a Journey from Altar to Encounter.” These three men shaped by obedience, sustained by faith, and were transformed through divine encounters. It reveals the progressive movement of God’s covenant, from the altar of surrender to the well of continuity to the ladder of revelation, they are showing you that the promises of God are not confined to one generation but carried forward through surrendered lives. May you surrender your life to God.

The first week begins with Abaham, the father of faith, whose obedience on the mountain becomes a living declaration that faith that surrenders becomes faith that sees. In his willingness to offer Isaac, Abraham teaches that when we release what we love most, we make room for divine provision. The altar becomes the birthplace of vision, where sacrifice turns into revelation and obedience opens the way for blessing.

There’s a story told of a woman who once walked through one of the most difficult seasons of her life. Her finances were low, her health fragile, and her faith tested. Every morning she’d whisper, “Lord, I trust You,” even when her eyes couldn’t see a way out. One day, while praying, she heard these words in her spirit: “Look again, it’s in the thicket.” When she shifted her perspective from the problem to the promise, she noticed unexpected provision waiting in plain sight, a job offer she had overlooked, a friend willing to help, and a peace that surpassed understanding. The blessing was never absent; it was just hidden until her surrender revealed it.

This is the essence of Abraham’s story. When God asked Abraham to offer up Isaac, He was testing not his love for his son, but his willingness to trust God with his most precious possession. Abraham obeyed immediately. He didn’t negotiate or delay; he simply said, “Here I am.” And with every climb up Mount Moriah, his faith was being refined. The ram wasn’t visible at the base of the mountain because revelation always follows obedience.

The thicket represents the unseen place of God’s provision. It’s the tangled, unclear part of your life where things don’t make sense, where you can’t see what God is doing, and where faith feels tested. But just because you can’t see the ram doesn’t mean it isn’t there. God’s provision often waits on the other side of your surrender. It wasn’t until Abraham lifted his eyes that he saw what was hidden. There’s something about lifting your gaze, taking your eyes off what you might lose and placing them on the One who never fails, (I sought the Lord, He heard, and He answered! I just thought I would drop this in right here…) that allows you to see the supernatural. Sometimes, God waits until you reach the end of your understanding so that you will finally look up instead of around.

Every test of faith is really a test of trust. Will you still believe even when the promise looks like it’s on the altar? Will you still worship when it feels like God is asking for what you love most? Abraham didn’t just walk in obedience; he walked in expectation. He told his servants, “We will go and worship, and then we will come back to you” (Genesis 22:5, Sometimes you have to leave others when it is time to go and worship). That statement of faith unlocked heaven’s provision.

There’s always a ram in your thicket. It may not appear when you want it to, but it’s been there since the beginning of your journey. God positions provision in places that align with obedience. When you reach the mountain of surrender, the ram will be waiting, caught and secured, unable to escape, because it’s divinely assigned to your moment of revelation. God never wastes a test. Your faith walk prepares you to see what casual eyes cannot. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the revelation. Abraham called that place “Jehovah Jireh,” meaning “The Lord will provide.” Notice he didn’t name it before the test, but after. It’s in the climb, in the letting go, and in the surrender that we discover who God really is.

In your own life, you often ask, “Lord, where is the provision?” when God is asking, “Where is your obedience?” The moment you stop withholding your time, your heart, your forgiveness, your faith, God reveals what’s been waiting in your thicket all along. Your ram is not late, it’s waiting. Your breakthrough isn’t lost; it’s positioned. The answer isn’t delayed; it’s divinely timed. God’s provision and promise always meet in the place of obedience. Look again. What you thought was tangled may just be the sound of your miracle rustling in the bushes.

Let’s Pray:

Father, I thank You for being the God who provides even when I cannot see how. You are Jehovah Jireh, my Provider, and today I lift my eyes toward You. Just like Abraham, I choose obedience over understanding, surrender over struggle, and faith over fear. Lord, forgive me for the times I’ve doubted what You were doing in the thicket of my life. Forgive me for withholding the things You’ve asked me to lay down. Teach me to trust You even when the mountain is steep and the sacrifice feels heavy. Father, I declare that You are faithful in every test. I may not always understand the “why,” but I know the “Who,” and that is enough. Thank You for already positioning my ram, for every divine provision waiting in my unseen future. Help me not to miss it because of fear or hesitation. Father, I release my Isaacs to You, every dream, every plan, every person, and every outcome I’ve tried to control. I lay them on the altar, not as loss, but as an act of worship. And as I surrender, I believe You are sending revelation, provision, and breakthrough from the unseen thicket. Holy Spirit, give me eyes to see what’s been hidden. Give me ears to hear the rustle of divine timing. When my heart grows weary, remind me that the climb is worth it, and the sacrifice is seen by Heaven. Lord, I pray for divine strength for everyone climbing their mountain today. Let them know You are already there at the top, with everything they need. Remind them that obedience will never leave them empty, it always makes room for abundance. And Father, I thank You for every “ram” You’ve prepared for Your people, for provision, healing, direction, and favor. Let Your supernatural supply overflow into every life connected to this prayer. Today, I call You Provider, Protector, and Promise Keeper. I will walk in faith, I will look up, and I will see the ram You have prepared. In the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Nugget:

“What you’ve been praying for isn’t missing, it’s in the thicket, waiting for your obedience to reveal it.”

As I was closing out this devotional. God brought this picture back to my memory and I am sharing it with you. My friend and I (Cynthia C.) were standing at the back of Southern University, the Baton Rouge campus, and I took this picture of what I thought was the sun going down over the river, at this moment, I was in need of a miracle from God. And it was not until I printed the picture, that I saw the Ram’s Head in the photo, this was May 2004. And just to let you know, God honored that prayer and I am living in it right now. May this photo and devotion encourage you to trust God and surrender everything to Him that He may give it to with even more.

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean