Genesis 21:1–7 (ESV) —
1 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” 7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
NOTE: This event transforms Abraham. From my previous studies, he truly begins to walk by faith at this point in his life. I say this to Abraham's credit, because I have found that miraculous healings or interventions by God in our life are often forgotten in time, at least to the extent that we start to struggle with fear again. God, later in the bible story, will tell people to set up reminders of miraculous events. One such reminder, a pile of large rocks is called an "ebenezer" and is featured in a song of faith. I won't say it prevents fear, but these reminders do help. My journal functions similarly for me. I rewrote a number of very difficult quiet times from 1987-1988 in July 2012 of my quiet time blog (https://qt-notes.blogspot.com/). I can't read them without tearing up. They are such a good reminder of pain, and how ultimately God carried us through that time. But unlike Abraham, my transformation seems more gradual in regards to trust and faith. Only now am I realizing what it means to let go of things and give them to God.
PONDER:
- How do I remember the tough times of life and how God was working?
- Do I keep any record of God's work in my own life?
PRAYER: Father, thank you for the things you have taken us through. They have been good but hard. I wouldn't go through them again. I would wish for a different path, but I do thank you. My life is different because you are changing it from degree of glory to another, and hopefully someday (in heaven) to be like my savior.
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