“Then the Lord said, I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son” (Gen 18:10)
When the Lord spoke these words to Abraham who in his late nineties was still childless, Sarah, his wife, who happened to be nearby, heard so, and she doubted. “So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” (Gen 18:12).
Sarah’s doubts can relate with any of us who could be faced with a situation that is apparently long overdue and we believe time is not on our side. This could range anywhere from the proverbial marriage proposal, getting to a certain place, raising a house, receiving a certain cash windfall. Everyone knows that matter, where we believe time is not on our side.
For Sarah she was well aware of her biological limitations to bear a child at that advanced age.
From a human and physical aspect child bearing was purely impossible to imagine so at her advanced age. Yet Sarah’s problem was that she was looking at issues from a purely physical angle.
When we look at things with our naked eyes and from our understanding a lot does not make sense. Consider the universe and the whole of creation. The existence of life is beyond human capacity to comprehend. However, when we pause and look at matters from a spiritual angle it is all possible. As Jesus once said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God” ( Luke 18:27).
In the above situation someone else would have the last laugh. At ninety, “Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham, in his old age, at the very time he had promised him” ( Genesis 21:1-2). So, friend, God is not done with you yet!
Prayer for today. Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, to hold on to the promises you have given me, that like in the case of Sarah you will visit and make me laugh, for you never fail; and this I pray in Jesus’s name.
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17/05/2024 - 18/05/2024 All day“And I in righteousness I shall see your face; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with seeing your likeness” (Psalm 17:15)
One of the defining aspects we see in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ is that He began the day with prayer. “Very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). As he was always surrounded by crowds and after such a busy day before of preaching and engaging the Pharisees in debates this must have been a therapeutic moment for Christ when he would have some good time to himself.
But there was also more. For Jesus being away in a secluded place would also mean a chance to pour out His heart to God, meditate in quietness, plan for the day ahead and listen to the Father. Jesus must have looked up to this moment every day knowing its benefits. Conversations with His Father must have been real and intimate, bringing a certain soothing and uplifting of His spirit. You do not wake up and stick to something on a daily basis that is a drag – this must have been his best time of the day!
Martin Luther the leader of the protestant reformation is reputed to once have said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” Here is the point. In the olden days before the arrival of locomotive transport those who were setting out for a long journey on foot had to start early with the first cock crow before the punishing sun came out. One of the things they had to start with also was a good meal, which was fuel needed to give them energy through the long walk to their destiny.
There are no rules about waking up to pray as first thing- or even saying prayer at a defined hour of the day. God is everywhere and ever with us. He is accessible at any time of the day. But there is something special about prioritizing our lives that the first thing we do is to talk to God. Just like the early traveller we need fuel, for the long day ahead!
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, what a joy and privilege to make time at the start of any day, talk and hear from you, for the power I need through the day, this I pray in Jesus’ name!
