Day 6, or January the 6th. Good things come to
those who wait. Our thought today is rooted in
Genesis chapter 17, verses 1 and 2. When Abraham
was ninety -nine years old, the Lord appeared
to him and said, I am God Almighty. Walk before
me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make
my covenant between me and you, and will greatly
increase your numbers. First, the big picture
surrounding these verses. In the days of Abraham,
having an heir is a vital mark of manhood. God
has promised him many descendants. He has promised
Abraham that he will be a nation. But how will
that work out if he still has no children? After
waiting ten years, Abraham and Sarai decide to
do what the local Canaanites do, have a child
by a servant girl, and adopt it as their own.
They do this, and a son is born to Hagar. His
name is Ishmael. Abraham and Sarai still yearn
for a son of their own, but as the years pass
by, they are sure they are far too old now. God
changes Abraham's name to Abraham, meaning father
of a multitude, and Sarai to Sarah, meaning princess.
As a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham,
circumcision is introduced and God repeats his
promise of an heir for Abraham. All Abraham can
do is laugh. Still no son, and time is running
out. And now our action step for today. Patience
is a virtue, and we see it in abundance in the
lives of Sarai and Abram. It's too easy to say
that they did the wrong thing by using Hagar
as a surrogate mother. However, this elderly
couple deserved some praise for waiting ten years.
Then they waited a further thirteen years before
receiving another promise from God, and still
they waited. Would you have waited so long? There
is a word of warning here for all of us. Don't
turn your back on God because he hasn't confirmed
your timetable. Part of being a follower of Christ
is accepting that his timings are the best. Whatever
you are waiting for from God will be worth it.
Just ask Abraham and Sarah.