DECEMBER 7, 2022
Genesis 21:7
“Who would have said… that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne [Abraham] a son in his old age.”
We have all gone through periods of waiting in our lives that seemed like they would never end? The Bible has many stories of people having to wait, wait to be delivered from their enemies, wait to be delivered to a new land, wait to meet the promised Messiah.
Abraham and Sarah waited a long time to have a child. Are you ready for this? Sarah was 91 years old and Abraham 100 by the time they had a baby. This couple had endured decades of disappointment from their inability to have children.
This was no doubt more difficult considering God’s promise to Abraham when he called him. Do you recall in Genesis 12 the covenant that God makes with Abraham includes the promise “I will make you into a great nation.” In Genesis 17 God again says to Abraham “You will be the father of many nations. ... 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.” In another place angels and the Lord came to Abraham and told him that "his descendants would be more than the stars in heaven.” Promises, Promises. Still no offspring.
Sarah was in a stage of life well beyond her childbearing years, and yet God kept making them an unbelievable promise. Their wait seemed endless! And yet, we read their story and discover that God was faithful to his promise.
Isaiah 30:18 encourages us by reminding us that,
the Lord waits to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.
See that promise? All who wait for him are blessed.
What is your heart waiting and longing for?
Isaiah 46:4
Since the day you were born,
I have carried you along.
4 I will still be the same
when you are old and gray,
and I will take care of you.
I created you. I will carry you
and always keep you safe.
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