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God Blesses the Mess
Andrea Lende • September 23, 2021
God Blesses the Mess
God Blesses the Mess
You can listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/God-Blesses-the-Mess-e17otef
Genesis 21:9-13
“Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking [Isaac].”
“Therefore she said to Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son, for the son of this bondwoman shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.”
“And the thing was very grievous (serious, evil) in Abraham’s sight on account of his son [Ishmael].”
“God said to Abraham, Do not let it seem grievous and evil to you because of the youth and your bondwoman; in all that Sarah has said to you, do what she asks, for in Isaac shall your posterity be called.”
“And I will make a nation of the son of the bondwoman also, because he is your offspring.”
The interchange between God and Abraham greatly blessed me today.
As the story goes, Sarah had given her maid to Abraham to have a son since she hadn’t had one of her own.
But when Hagar became pregnant, Sarah became bitter.
She immediately detested her and dealt severely with her so that Hagar fled.
However, the Lord told her to go back which she reluctantly did.
Years later when Sarah had her own child, she saw Hagar’s son making fun of hers.
She became extremely angry and told Abraham to send Hagar and her son away.
This made Abraham very angry.
However, God told Abraham to allow it because He had a plan for both Isaac and for Ishmael.
God said He would make a nation of Ishmael simply because he was Abraham’s son.
This is one of those beauty for ashes stories.
As Sarah’s human nature made her impatient and later bitter, the Lord intended on blessing this mess.
And not just by a small blessing.
God intended on making a nation after Ishmael.
This story gives me hope.
Hope that the Lord blesses in big and beautiful ways even when we make big and hurtful mistakes.
We cannot escape His plan or His blessings.
So, I am thankful for His faithfulness and goodness to us.
Today I choose to trust the Lord will make beautiful things out of the messes I’ve made.
May you find the Lord will bless the messy parts of your life in His timing.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me more about Your faithful nature. Thank You for fixing all the broken pieces of my life. Thank You for blessing the messy parts of my life. Father, Your plan far exceeds my short sightedness as You work all things out for Your glory. Keep me from moving forward before all things are ready. Help me be patient, Father. Keep me at peace and help me rest in You and Your timing. Slow me down when I feel I’m ready but am clearly not. Equip me to carry out Your will. Ready me in every way, Lord. Help me do all You ask me to do. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM working out all the circumstances in your life and will lead and guide you through all I have planned.
Response: Help me be patient and obedient to You in every way, Lord.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.