This Time Next Year

September 13, 2019 by Cee Maria in God Calls You By Name

Genesis 17:21, 23-27 NLT

“But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.”

On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen. Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day, along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.

Abraham’s heart must have jumped in his throat. THIS time next year…. This TIME next year….This time NEXT year…. This time next YEAR! Abraham sowed a lot of spiritual seeds of faith and obedience to God in his life and he’s about to reap his harvest.

What happens when hope is activated?

Hope removes doubts

Like an eraser wiping marker off a whiteboard, all of Abraham’s doubts were deleted away from his heart. God never lied to Abraham and he knew it was as good as done. Joyful expectancy rose up in Abraham. Without doubt, this time next year, Abraham and Sarah will be the parents of a special baby boy.

Hope tightens our bond with God

Abraham cut covenant with God in the most intimate, private, sensitive part of himself. Everytime Abraham took a shower or visited the restroom, he would be reminded of his covenant. Everytime Abraham made love to Sarah, he would be reminded of his covenant. Every private action involved God and His covenant.

Hope releases favor

Favor is defined as preferential treatment and approval (1). God has kept a record of all the times Abraham kept his faith in Him and obeyed His commands and His regard for Abraham is tremendous. Of all the men living on earth at the time, Abraham was chosen to inherit the legacy of faith.

Favor spills into everything Abraham does and who he has charge over. God granted Abraham such favor with Ishmael and all the men he had authority over, he was able to convince them to join him in this covenant on the very same day!

Hope produces increase of blessings

All of the men, including Ishmael, would also be circumcised. They would also be reminded that God was watching them in the most private moments of their lives. What incentive to live pure and holy! But, the rewards were great and God’s blessings would follow them as it did Abraham. It would be a blessing these men would pass down to their own descendants as well.

Hope prepares for the new normal

God was preparing Abraham and his tribe a year in advance for the change ahead. Sarah is the princess of a multitude and to become a miracle mother. A miracle prince is to be born, his name will be Isaac, and he will continue God’s amazing covenant. A day will come where some of these men will answer not only to Abraham, but to Isaac as well.

Let’s pray:

Father, You are El Shaddai, God Almighty. Thank You for circumcising my heart so that I am aware that You are watching the most private moments of my life. Hope in Your word removes my doubts and bonds me closer to You. I am grateful for Your favor on my life and I pray that the blessings in my life overflow into the lives of others exponentially. Hope in Your promises prepares me for what’s ahead. In Jesus name, Amen.

References:

1) https://www.dictionary.com/browse/favor

Her Name Will Be Sarah

August 23, 2019 by Cee Maria in God Calls You By Name

Genesis 17:15-16 NLT

Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”

God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, and now He changes Sarai’s name to Sarah.

Who is Sarai?

Sarai is the woman who followed Abram from Ur in Genesis 12. She left her family behind obeying the Word of the Lord. Sarai put her life in danger in order to spare Abram’s life when they crossed into Egypt, also in Genesis 12. God dramatically saved Sarai from the wrath of Pharaoh. A plague invaded the household and pharaoh was prevented from having intercourse with her. By Genesis 16, Sarai gave Abram her very own servant to have intercourse with him so they could raise this child as their own. Looking at her history, it is obvious that Sarai would do anything for Abraham.

Sarai’s Position

God speaks to Abraham about Sarai, his wife. In God’s eyes, Sarai is Abraham’s covenant partner. Sarai is bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, they are one spirit. Like Adam and Eve, they stand as equals, side by side, in covenant with God.

Not just Abraham’s princess

Just as God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, He changed Sarai’s name to Sarah. Sarai means ‘my lady’ or ‘my princess’ (1). She was the exclusive princess to her biological father who named her, and to Abraham and their caravan. But, now Sarah is promoted to a princess of a multitude (2). She is the daughter of the greatest monarch, God Almighty, El Shaddai.

God wants Sarah to put Him first in her life

Like Abraham, Sarah had her faults. Her desire for a son was to please Abraham and to continue his legacy. But, God wanted her to put Him first so she would raise a son who would worship Him and continue this amazing covenant. As far as God was concerned, this was Sarah’s exclusive destiny and no one else would take her place. When Sarah makes God first and submits to His will, He would reward her with blessings beyond her wildest dreams. Not only will she be the princess of El Shaddai, but she will also become the matriarch of nations!

Let’s Pray:

Father,

You know my faults. But, You have a destiny designed specifically for me and no one can take my place. I submit to Your will and choose to follow Your destiny for my life. Thank You for blessing me beyond my wildest dreams. In Jesus name, Amen.

References:

1) https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H8297&t=KJV

2) https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H8283&t=KJV

God Calls You By Name Part 3- Faith And Destiny

August 09, 2019 by Cee Maria in God Calls You By Name

Genesis 17:6-8 NLT

“I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

First, God introduces Himself to 99 year old Abram as El Shaddai, Almighty God, the God of miracle wonder working power. Next, God changes Abram’s name which means ‘exalted father’, to Abraham, ‘the father of many nations’. It was imperative that Abraham can see past the present and far into the future. Now, God describes to Abraham the legacy he will leave and the destiny of his many, many descendants!

What does God promise?

Despite the fact that both Abraham and Sarai are very old and sterile, El Shaddai, the Almighty God is making some phenomenal promises:

I will make you fruitful in your very old age, even though you are impotent.

I will give you many generations of descendants through your biological son.

I will give you descendants that will be highly influential and help change the world.

I will covenant with your descendants for all generations.

I will give you an eternal title deed to territory that will last until the end of the world.

I will be the only God to you and your descendants will worship forever.

Abraham must have been reeling. Think of the time, strategy, and energy he and Sarai had invested to produce Ishmael! How much simpler it will be to follow God’s instructions, expect Him to fulfill His promises, and acquire the unthinkable! There was no man made strategy that could bring all of this to pass.

God always works with us

God has walked through many circumstances with Abraham these past 24 years. Not one time did God leave his side. Nope. He just kept working with Abraham and redirecting him when necessary until he fulfilled his divine destiny. Through all of it, God demonstrated His great love for this very flawed man. Why? Because Abraham will eventually come to the point of believing God’s promises. Abraham’s confidence and faith in God’s character will be absolute and complete.

We are the children of Abraham, his spiritual descendants. These same promises hold true for us because we are a part of this great legacy. God demonstrated His great love for us as flawed as we are, by sending Jesus on the earth to die on the cross in our place.

God wants us to fulfill our divine destiny

God is waiting for us to have absolute confidence and faith in His character so He could be El Shaddai, God Almighty, in our lives. In order for our divine destiny to be fulfilled, we must be like Abraham and have absolute and complete faith in God’s word and character. Only then will God’s divine destiny for our lives be fulfilled.

Hebrews 11:6

It is impossible to please God without faith.

Let’s pray:

Father, I recognized You not just as my Father, but as God Almighty. Only You can do the impossible. In fact, the Scriptures tell me that with You, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37). Thank You for demonstrating Your love for me. I know that You walk beside me and redirect me as needed. I am determined to believe Your promises and place absolute confidence and faith in Your character. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

God Calls You By Name Part 2- From Abram to Abraham

July 20, 2019 by Cee Maria in God Calls You By Name

Genesis 17: 2-5 NLT

“I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.”

God changes Abram’s name

Genesis 17 begins with God telling Abram to walk blameless before Him so He can demonstrate His mighty power. Abram’s relationship with God was to be pure, innocent, uncompromising, and without idols. Forever established is the fact that the heart and mind must not be occupied by anything or anyone that takes God’s place. Only after this step does God change Abram’s name to Abraham.

God changes Abram’s focus

From now on, Abram whose name means ‘exalted father’ (1) is changed to Abraham meaning ‘the father of a multitude of nations’. Abram will hear himself being called ‘the father of a multitude of nations’ all day long! In all of his business transactions, he will sign his documents ‘the father of a multitude of nations’. When Sarai chats with him at the dinner table and asks about his day, she will call him ‘the father of a multitude of nations’. When he introduced himself to others and shook their hand, he would tell them that his name is ‘the father of a multitude of nations’. Whenever God will speak to him from this moment on, He will call him ‘the father of a multitude of nations’.

What is the lesson here?

God was teaching Abraham to hear, speak, and remind himself of the promise of a son and future descendants. Abraham was learning to speak his promise into existence. This is how El Shaddai, God Almighty will do miracles on his behalf. This is how El Shaddai, God Almighty does miracles on our behalf. And this is why Abraham is called the ‘father of our faith’.

Let’s Pray:

Father, I will follow the example you have set with Abraham so You can be El Shaddai in my life. I will be mindful of what I depend on and remove all idols from my heart. My relationship with you is now my first priority. Change my focus from how I see my situation to how You see my situation. I will believe Your promises for me according to the Bible by reminding myself of those promises all day long, and by speaking them out loud. In Jesus name, Amen.

References:

1) https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H87&t=KJV

God Calls You By Name Part 1- Names Are Important

June 29, 2019 by Cee Maria in God Calls You By Name

Genesis 17:1 NLT

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai-

‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.

Today we begin our new series, ‘God Calls You By Name’. Our text is Genesis 17 where two ‘first mention’ principles are introduced. First mention means that this is the first time a particular concept is seen in the Bible and therefore it is the clearest representation of that concept.

The two first mention principles are:

God is called El Shaddai, the LORD God Almighty
The covenant of circumcision is established

Abram’s age is recorded for a reason
For today’s blog, we will focus on verse one. Our verse begins by noting Abram’s age which is very important. Abram, which means ‘exalted father’ is ninety nine years old (1). Numbers in Hebrew all contain symbolism. The number 90 is Tzaddi and defined as the righteousness of God, a devout man (2). The number 9 is Tet and is defined as fullness of blessings (2). By understanding the meaning of names and numbers, we are told that Abram is the exalted father of his family who is in right standing with God and is devout in his faith.

The Lord appeared!

‘The Lord appeared’ is a phrase that is recorded 35 times in the King James version of the Bible. It precedes an action of God such as speaking to someone in a dream or vision, or pronouncing a warning or a judgement. When there is an acceleration of divine activity, ‘the Lord appears’ and something big is about to happen.

El Shaddai

Genesis 17 is the first mention in the Bible of El Shaddai. This title is found 48 times in the King James. God reveals Himself to Abram as God Almighty or more accurately ‘the One Who is limitless in power’. He is preparing Abram for the impossible to happen.

What does blameless mean?
And here is the key that allows God to intervene as El Shaddai; serve me faithfully and live blamelessly. The actual Hebrew says ‘walk before Me and be blameless.’ The phrase ‘walk before me’ is defined as living a lifestyle that is wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, and integrous (3). How do you walk blamelessly? By removing anything in your heart and life that takes the place of God.

1 John 5:21 Amplified,

Little children, guard yourselves from idols-- [false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take the place of God in your hearts.]

Abram has purged idols from his heart before
This is not the first time Abram had to check his heart for idols. In the past, he was forced to ask Lot to leave his household. Lot was the closest thing to a son he ever had up to that point. Abram was tossed out of Egypt because he treasured his own life over Sarai’s. Realizing his weakness of greed, he tithed to Melchizedek to cleanse himself of materialism and covetousness. As needs change in the seasons of our lives, opportunities for compromise reveal the condition of our hearts. God is making sure that He is first place in Abram’s life.

Time for an idol check
Before a major move of God, it is necessary for an idol check. What pleasure consumes our day and what are the motivations behind it? Our days are usually filled with food, entertainment, family, career, social media, shopping, etc… We must ask ourselves, does God really take first place in our hearts or is He an afterthought?

How to walk blamelessly
When we read and study God’s word, meditate on it, and apply it to our everyday lives, then God is absolutely first! Then we can walk blameless before Him because there is no desire for compromise. Our inclinations will be wholesome, unimpaired, innocent and integrous. As we purge the idols, God moves on our lives and displays His limitless power on our behalf.

Let’s Pray:

Father, You know me better than I know myself. Bring to my awareness anything that has taken first place in my heart. I am sorry and repent of wrong priorities. Give me the grace to make You my priority and everything else will fall into its proper place. I thank You for moving on my behalf as El Shaddai, the LORD God Almighty. I love You. In Jesus name, Amen.

References:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H87&t=KJV
Barbie Breathitt, Breath of the Spirit Ministries, Inc. P.O. Box 820653, North Richland HIlls, TX 76182-0653, www.BreathoftheSpiritMinistriess.com, www.BarbieBreathitt.com
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H8549&t=KJV