Asked and Answered

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

ASKED AND ANSWERED

Gen 25:19-26

19 This is the account of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.

23 The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."

24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.   26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

NIV

Now we look at part of Isaac's life. There is no question this man is special in the eyes of the LORD, as he was the one promised to Abraham and Sarah. What is notable about both Isaac and his wife Rebekah is that they both inquired of the LORD. First, Isaac sought the LORD on Rebekah's behalf because she was barren. They could not conceive a child. As always, the LORD heard Isaac's prayer, answered, and Rebekah became pregnant. We can be assured that the LORD always hears, always answers, but we first must ask, then listen. We can also learn that the answer may take time, as Isaac was forty when he married Rebekah and sixty when Rebekah gave birth to the two sons. However, we do not know the time frame between when Isaac prayed and when Rebekah became pregnant. The time could have been within a day, a week, or a year; we are not told. However, we are told the LORD answered, and all this was according to his will. There is no logical reason the LORD would simply ignore a prayer, ignore our request, our petition, for he has done it so many times, demonstrating that it is his nature to hear and to answer. We see he did the same for Rebekah when the twins Esau and Jacob jostled each other within her, although she did not know until the LORD told her she would have two sons. He answered her and gave her specific information about the twins within her. We learn that the LORD did not want Rebekah to be in the dark about what was going to happen with her two sons. This gives us another truth about the LORD. It is not his nature to keep his people in the dark, but to shine the light of his truth upon them. He has already told us what will happen; he has assured us that his will concerning his people has been recorded for us. Yet, there are those times, those individual moments in our lives, as it was with Isaac and Rebekah, when we need a specific answer to a special need in our lives. The Lord does not turn a deaf ear to our prayer, and he does not hear and do nothing, as he will always answer in some way. How often do we use the excuse that he might say no or later because we do not see the result we want? No, we cannot make an excuse for God. His will is always accomplished in our lives; at the same time, he will always answer our prayers if they align with his plan and purpose for our lives. Still, we can ask about what he wants to do within us and through us, and he will always show us. It comes down to asking and being answered.