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God's Promises
Andrea Lende • June 15, 2020
Genesis 17:1-2
God’s Promises
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Gods-Promises-effh0p
Daily Word:
Genesis 17:1-2
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, I am the Almighty God; walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete).”
“And I will make My covenant (solemn pledge) is with you, and you shall be the father of many nations.”
God had promised Abraham that he would have numerous descendants.
Too many to count!
Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was impatient.
At eighty-six years old she urged Abraham to lay with her handmaid so that God’s promise would come true.
Human nature hasn’t changed much since the beginning of time.
Patience is difficult to own.
God had made them a promise.
To Sarah, it didn’t look like God’s promise was going to come to fruition.
She hurried it along.
And when the child, Ishmael, was born, there was immediate strife between the mother and Sarah.
Darkness had prevailed inside of Sarah’s impatience.
It took another thirteen years for God to show Himself faithful to His promise.
Abraham was now ninety-nine.
If they didn’t think God was going to make His promise happen at eighty-six, I’m sure they didn’t expect it thirteen years later at ninety-nine years old.
However, we know the story ends that way.
God’s promise took patience.
And inside of that time there was impatience and sin.
Still, God was faithful to His promise.
Not only was He faithful to His promise, He renamed both of them.
Abram to Abraham – “[High, exalted father to father of a multitude]”.
And Sarai to Sarah which meant “[Princess]”.
God lifted both of them up at almost one hundred years old.
Reading about their story gave me hope that God’s promises are still valid.
His plan will reign.
He has won the battle that is facing us, our families, and our nation.
He will always win.
No matter how bleak things look, God has already won.
Today my heart is lifted up as I read His Word and see that our God is faithful to His promises.
May you find that the Lord is faithful to the promises He has made to you.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for Your Word that shows You as the God who lifts Your people up in the face of impossibility. Thank You for working out all the details for Your people perfectly. Thank You for being the God of restoration. May Your hand be upon me, my household, and our nation. May Your will be done. You are the God of Power and Might. To You be all glory given! I praise You, Lord. I praise Your Name! You are greatly to be praised! Help me continue to praise You through and in all things, Father. Help me see Your wonder working power. Increase my faith so that I am strengthened and can do Your will. May Your will be mine. May Your desires be my desires. Help me do all that You have for me to do, Lord. Help me look to You and be obedient to You. Lead and guide me this day. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the God who knows all, sees all, and will work out all things for My glory.
Response: Help me see You, Lord, and all that You do.
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.