Post by Woody Williams on Dec 24, 2007 9:00:24 GMT -5
Text for the Day -- Genesis 17:15-22
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God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her
Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover I
will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise
to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.’ Then Abraham fell
on his face and laughed, and said to himself, ‘Can a child be born to
a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah, who is ninety years old,
bear a child?’ And Abraham said to God, ‘O that Ishmael might live in
your sight!’ God said, ‘No, but your wife Sarah shall bear you a son,
and you shall name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him
as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for
Ishmael, I have heard you; I will bless him and make him fruitful and
exceedingly numerous; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I
will make him a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with
Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year.’ And
when he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.
Devotional
----------
A major part of the covenant of God with Abraham was the promise of a
son through whom a great nation would eventually emerge and bless the
world. Abraham was an old man, as well as Sarah was an old woman. It
must have been hard for Abraham and Sarah to trust this promise from
God. In fact, Abraham did laugh when God re-iterated the promise to
him. It is hard to trust that with God all things are possible that
God has promised.
Prayer
----------------
Increase my faith in your promises, gracious God. Amen
----------
God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her
Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover I
will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise
to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.’ Then Abraham fell
on his face and laughed, and said to himself, ‘Can a child be born to
a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah, who is ninety years old,
bear a child?’ And Abraham said to God, ‘O that Ishmael might live in
your sight!’ God said, ‘No, but your wife Sarah shall bear you a son,
and you shall name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him
as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for
Ishmael, I have heard you; I will bless him and make him fruitful and
exceedingly numerous; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I
will make him a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with
Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year.’ And
when he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.
Devotional
----------
A major part of the covenant of God with Abraham was the promise of a
son through whom a great nation would eventually emerge and bless the
world. Abraham was an old man, as well as Sarah was an old woman. It
must have been hard for Abraham and Sarah to trust this promise from
God. In fact, Abraham did laugh when God re-iterated the promise to
him. It is hard to trust that with God all things are possible that
God has promised.
Prayer
----------------
Increase my faith in your promises, gracious God. Amen