Called

DEVOTION
GALATIONS
CALLED
Gal 4:24-31

24 These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written: "Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband." 28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son." 31 Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. NIV
I simply cannot separate all this or break it down without destroying the content or can I make any sense of any one part of it so I have to deal with the whole of it and that, of course, still is all about being free and not being a slave. But there is one word which stands out to me and that is covenant. I know I am a child of the free woman. I know I am a child who is living within the covenant God made with the free woman, or the promise he made to Abraham and his seed, who is Jesus. This section of scripture does make so much sense to me about why the Muslims hate Christians so much. They will never share in the inheritance with the Christians. If they claim to be descendents of Ishmael they are not part of the promised seed. But how does all this bear on me? What personal insights can I glean from all this? I might consider the possibility that I have broken some promises I have made from time to time. I could view this as another of God’s magnificent traits. He never breaks his promise. He has made a covenant, an everlasting promise which he will never break. When he promised Abraham, he promised Jesus to the world. He promised he would make it available to mankind to find they way back to him. I became a part of that promise; I became a part of Jesus, a son, a co-heir with Christ. That alone boggles my mind. Why me? Why did all that happen in my life? Was it simply by chance? I know God already knew the choice I would make, and when and how and why I would make it, but did he also plan that for me? Did I become a part of the promise because I simply found out about it and decided all by myself to enter in? Sometimes I think God had it all planned out and made all that happen in order to get my attention, because he wanted me to be a part knowing I would serve him and declare his word. Could I be so bold to presume I was called?