Genesis 21
Genesis 21
“The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised.” Genesis 21:1
If I’m honest, I often struggle with trusting God’s timing and his faithfulness. When I set my mind to do something, I want it done right away. That’s why I’m a terrible fisherman. When I was a kid, my parents loved to fish in the pond behind our house and would often take me with them. I liked catching fish, but I hated (still do) waiting for them to bite. The reward of catching a huge fish was awesome, but the process took too long.
I wonder if Abraham and Sarah ever thought the process was taking too long? …Actually, we know they did. They tried to speed up the process by taking matters into their own hands with Hagar, but that attempt only gave them family strife and brokenness. Our human eyes often let the process cloud our view of the promise.
God has promised his people eternal life, but the pain and suffering in this life causes us to doubt. God has promised to sanctify us, but we still struggle with sin in our lives. God has promised to restore all things and wipe away every tear, but our lives are falling apart and we are barely holding on…
Child, take heart, God is still faithful! He is “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Eph 3:20). It’s in our weakness and our waiting that God produces the most fruit in us. Abraham had to wait for years before God gave him Isaac, but in the waiting, Abraham believed in God and it was “counted it to him as righteousness” (Gen 15). Trust in the Lord - in his faithfulness and his steadfast love no matter what the process looks like.
Family Discussion
By: Joe Weaver
“The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised.” Genesis 21:1
If I’m honest, I often struggle with trusting God’s timing and his faithfulness. When I set my mind to do something, I want it done right away. That’s why I’m a terrible fisherman. When I was a kid, my parents loved to fish in the pond behind our house and would often take me with them. I liked catching fish, but I hated (still do) waiting for them to bite. The reward of catching a huge fish was awesome, but the process took too long.
I wonder if Abraham and Sarah ever thought the process was taking too long? …Actually, we know they did. They tried to speed up the process by taking matters into their own hands with Hagar, but that attempt only gave them family strife and brokenness. Our human eyes often let the process cloud our view of the promise.
God has promised his people eternal life, but the pain and suffering in this life causes us to doubt. God has promised to sanctify us, but we still struggle with sin in our lives. God has promised to restore all things and wipe away every tear, but our lives are falling apart and we are barely holding on…
Child, take heart, God is still faithful! He is “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Eph 3:20). It’s in our weakness and our waiting that God produces the most fruit in us. Abraham had to wait for years before God gave him Isaac, but in the waiting, Abraham believed in God and it was “counted it to him as righteousness” (Gen 15). Trust in the Lord - in his faithfulness and his steadfast love no matter what the process looks like.
Family Discussion
- Read Psalm 130 (It’s short)
- The Psalmist is waiting for the Lord… But he ends with the hope of a promise, “And [the Lord] will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” How did God redeem Israel?
- How many years did it take for the God to fulfill this promise?
- Is there a truth or promise in Scripture that you’re having a hard time believing?
By: Joe Weaver
1 Comment
🙋â€â™€ï¸-the worst at waiting!! I appreciate your encouraging words today, Joe. God is really showing me that sometimes it's not me waiting on Him-but He is waiting on me to give up that control! (Or what I think I can control) And Eph. 3:20 is such a great reminder of what happens when we do give up that control! BTW-Guess that's why I never enjoyed fishing either!