Genesis 17:15-22 (NRSV)
God promises Sarah a son
God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, "Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" And Abraham said to God, "O that Ishmael might live in your sight!" God said, "No, but your wife Sarah shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; I will bless him and make him fruitful and exceedingly numerous; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year." And when he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.
DEVOTION
I love this passage of scripture because it reminds me that God loves and cares for all of his children!
There is not one person in this scripture passage that does not get blessed!
Abraham was blessed because he got to talk to God and receive God's promise. Sarah was blessed because her prayers were answered and she became pregnant with a son. Isaac was blessed because God established an everlasting covenant with him and Ishmael was blessed because God determined to make of him a great nation!
WOW!
Sometimes I worry that some of us believe that God's blessings are limited. We worry that if God blesses others, God might not bless us. It's almost as if we are concerned that God's provision is limited!
Take heart, my friends! God's storehouse is eternally full and God's blessings are innumerable!
God's got enough to take care of you and take care of me...
Isn't that wonderful good news?!
We don't have to covet the blessings of others; we don't have to be jealous of God's work in the lives of our friends.
Instead, we get to trust God and lean completely into God's wisdom and understanding, blessing and provision.
In this Advent Season, this ought to bring us tremendous peace and joy! God proved His willingness to love us and radically bless us when Jesus was born into our world on CHRISTmas Day!
Jesus' life, death, and resurrection prove to us beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is willing to go to any lengths to bless us!
Let us give God thanks and praise for the wonders of his promise and everlasting covenant with us all, through Christ Jesus!
Let's pray: Oh good and gracious God, how I love you. I praise and thank you for blessing me so abundantly. Please help me to share your blessings and bounty with others. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
INVITATION
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta
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