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

Don't Lose Hope

September 08, 2019 by Cee Maria in God Calls You By Name

Genesis 17:17 NLT

Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”

Abraham and God have a long history at this point. God has pulled him through many situations. But, it has been a very long time since Abraham was promised a son.

Outwardly bowing, inwardly laughing

In Chapter 17, God introduces Himself as God Almighty. Next, God warns Abraham to serve Him faithfully and live a blameless life. Then God declares Abraham and Sarah’s future and legacy. When Abraham heard God’s plans for him, he bows. Bowing before the Almighty should have been an act of reverence. But, as soon as Abraham’s knees hit the ground, he burrowed his chin into his chest and snickered. Obviously, he was challenged by all this information and couldn’t wrap his mind around it

It’s just that this promise was made so long ago. Time has taken its toll on Abraham’s and Sarah’s bodies and they are both sterile. The emotional high from the joyful expectation of a son had turned into utter disappointment and despondency. Dismissing everything he was told, Abraham simply asks God to bless Ishmael.

God rectifies Abraham’s understanding

Rude, huh? I didn’t read that a thunderbolt struck Abraham as the earth swallowed him up. Lost hope had compromised his faith in the integrity of God’s word. God understood where he was coming from and reaffirmed His promise to Abraham. Once again, God demonstrates His love for this man by rectifying his erroneous understanding and reigniting his hope.

Genesis 17:19 NLT

But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.

What about Ishmael?

Abraham is concerned about Ishmael’s future. Out of His respect for Abraham, God blesses Ishmael.

Genesis 17:20 NLT

As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

A promise and a timeline

God completes His conversation with Abraham with a promise and a timeline.

Genesis 17:21 NLT

But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.” When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham.

When God is finished speaking

Let me paraphrase ‘when God had finished speaking’. In other words, when Abraham understood God’s plans and accepted His terms; only then did He leave. What was God doing? He was restoring hope, the fervent expectation of a promise to be fulfilled (1). God loved Abraham and kept working with him until he got on board.

God can only be El Shaddai, Almighty God, when we agree to work together with Him so we could move forward in His plans and purposes for us.

Let’s pray:

Father, I admit that there are promises in Your Word that I have waited so long and lost hope in ever seeing fulfilled. I ask You to rectify my thinking and clarify my understanding concerning Your will for me. Thank You for working with me until I understand Your plans. Thank You for restoring my hope. I agree to work together with You so Your plans and purposes for my life are fulfilled. In Jesus name, Amen.

References:

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/hope?s=t

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.