But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.” Genesis 21: 12, 13, NKJV.
Gracious God of heaven and earth, you are such a covenant-keeping God! Please help us to be as faithful to You as You are to us. In the holy name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
What a great God we serve! How faithful He is to us – in spite of our unfaithfulness! Can you imagine that God would keep His promise to Abram even though Abram failed to keep his part of the bargain? At no time did God tell him that the promised seed would come through proxy. There was no justification for Abram’s taking Hagar as his wife and trying to secure a heir through her. God did not tell Abram to do anything in this covenant, except, “walk before Me and be blameless. . .” (Genesis 17: 1c). Like so many of us, we want to work for God’s gifts. We have not learned that there are some things we have to accept from God, and simply say, “Thank You Lord!”
So here we find Abram, now turned Abraham – name changed, promised seed born, according to God’s promise, struggling with the results of his choosing to listen to Sarai, instead of to God. And here we find God, Covenant-keeper, par excellence, keeping His promise. He will bless Ishmael, Abraham’s heir not according to the promise, but according to the works of the flesh, “because he is your seed” – because He promised.
God had every right to say to Abraham, “I am sorry, when I made this covenant with you, it was I who promised to give you a son. You went ahead and provided yourself a son, on your terms, I will not bless him, because he is not the child of promise.” But because God honors His word, “For You have magnified Your word above all Your name” (Psalm 138: 2d); He blessed Ishmael, because he was Abraham’s “seed” (Genesis 12: 3c; 13: 14-16; 15: 4, 5; 16: 10; 17: 4-8, 20). What a Covenant-keeping God!
The next time you and I are feeling down. Whenever doubts enter our minds and we begin to despair, let us remember that we serve a God who keeps His Word!. We can put our hands on any of His promises and claim them. We can ask Him to keep the covenant He made with us. Then rest assured that He will – because He promised!
NOTE: Friday’s devotional has been edited.
Thank you so much for the word I just received, God does indeed know when I need words of encouragement! I am very glad to know that our God will do what he said He would do. Amen.
Thank you for all that you do for all of us.
Thank you so much for the word I just received, God does indeed know when I need words of encouragement! I am very glad to know that our God will do what he said He would do. Amen.
Thank you for all that you do for all of us.