Just as He Promised

 DEVOTION

JUST AS HE PROMISED

Gen 21:1-7

21:1 Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." 7 And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

NIV

This is the basic singular truth within all Scripture. The truth that shapes our faith, the reason we are who we are. First, God was gracious to Sarah. We know God has been gracious to us by sending Jesus to take our place and die on that cross, so we do not have to. Second, and this is also extremely important in our relationship with the Lord. He did for Sarah what he had promised. She bore a son at the very time God had promised. God has promised those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, who have decided to follow Jesus, who are born again, or born from above, that Jesus would come back and take us to where he is. He promised us eternal life. He promised us a room, a dwelling place in his house. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to empower us with various gifts and to manifest his fruit in our lives. Everything in the life of Abraham and Sarah, having the son and naming him Isaac, went exactly as the Lord had promised them. We can know that God's plan for our lives will go exactly as he planned, and he will accomplish his purpose. One of the keys to God giving them a son in their old age is shown to us when Abraham circumcised Isaac, just as God commanded him. We should do no less. We are supposed to do everything the Lord God commands. That may apply to the church at large, but this truth applies to each individual believer. There are the general commands of God, such as to love others as we love ourselves. You must be born again to see the kingdom of God. We must change and become like a child; that is the faith of a child, believing with no doubts, or we will not see the kingdom of God. However, sometimes God speaks directly to us on a personal, intimate level, leading us to be who he purposed us to be, do what he planned for us to do, and live where he wants us to live. He did that in Abraham's life, and he does that in our lives. We do not belong to ourselves, making our own choices in life; we belong to the King of kings, the Lord of lords, God Almighty, the King of the Universe. We live under his mighty hand, as he sees fit. We live within the covenant he made with us through Jesus, just as he promised.