Posted on 01/25/2008 10:19:38 AM PST by WileyPink
Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Genesis 15:2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
Genesis 15:3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
Genesis 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bore him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
Genesis 16:2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Genesis 16:3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
Genesis 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Genesis 17:2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
Genesis 17:17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
Genesis 17:18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
Genesis 17:19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
“Do You Trust the Lord’s Promises?”
The hymn, “Standing on the Promises” is a musical declaration of the writer’s faith in God — “I’m standing on the promises of God.” The second verse could have been written for Abram, “when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, by the living word of God I shall prevail.” The application is the same for us today. With the preservation of the scripture, we have no excuse of not knowing the living word of God’s promises.
1. Trust the Lord’s Word Genesis 15:1-6
God addresses Abram’s doubt and fear in a vision. The scene unfolds after Abram has rescued Lot, from the battle with the four kings. God states two specifics — shield and reward. With this reminder God indicates that He has been Abram’s shield and would continue to be while pointing to “your exceedingly great reward” Gen 15:1 KJV. Abram’s doubt creeps into focus as he questions God about being childless and Eliezer his chief servant, possibly being his heir. As a custom in that day, a servant could be named as heir to an estate, but if a son was born the servant could not be disinherited as an heir. God restated His promise that “one … born from your own body shall be your heir” Genesis 15:4 NKJV. Abram was instructed to look up and observe the vastness of the stars in the heavens. I want to think Abram was amazed as he heard God say, “So shall your seeds be” Genesis 15:5 KJV. The scripture states that Abram believed in the Lord and God counted it as righteous. The confirming of belief and trust indicates a growing relationship between Abram and God. Warren Wiersbe suggests that verse six is the Old Testament version of John 3:16 stating belief in God. It is such a short verse with profound meaning of belief in God. This verse is quoted in Romans 4:5 as well as Galatians 3:6 and James 2:3 confirming belief and righteousness.
2. Trust the Lord’s Timing Genesis 16:1-3
Ten years is a long time to wait, especially when faced with cultural pressures. Having children, namely a son, was important for every married couple in Abram’s day. Abram and Sarai had been waiting on God’s promised offspring for years; “I will make thee a great nation” Genesis 12:2 KJV. This was before the trek through Canaan, the journey into Egypt, the separation of Abram and Lot as well as the ten years of being settled in Canaan. For Sarai the timing was past due for a son to be born. Although God’s promise was as sure then as when it was made Sarai, being impatient, made a choice to run ahead of God, Sarai’s plan was for Abram to marry her Egyptian maid servant, Hagar. Any offspring would be considered Sarai’s since Hagar was her servant, according to customs.
3. Trust the Lord’s Wisdom Genesis 17:1-2; 17-19
“I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect” Genesis 17:1 KJV were God’s words to Abram as God prepared to make a covenant with him. The covenant to multiply Abram and make him the father of many nations was the long awaited promise of God. Abram falls on his face in awe and laughs with joy while pondering in his heart the thought of a son being born to him and Sarai. With Abram being 100 and Sarai being 90, God had waited until physical limitations had made it impossible for natural conception and child bearing to take place. God changes Abram’s name to Abraham which means “father of multitudes’’ to reflect the promise of many descendents. Sarai also got a new name Sarah which means “princess,” a fitting name for the mother of the multitudes. Abraham’s thoughts quickly turn to his 13 year old son, Ishmael, by Hagar. God’s answer to that thought was “no.” A son to be called Isaac would be born to Abraham and Sarah with whom God would establish His everlasting covenant. God’s plan for Abraham to have many descendents was coming to fruition through Isaac and his descendants.
In learning to trust God’s Word, His Timing, and His Wisdom, our faith soars to new heights. Warren Wiersbe pinpoints four evidences of our growing faith — willingness to wait on God, concern for God to be glorified, obedient to God’s Word and experiencing joy and peace within.
Mellen Moore is a member of Macedonia Church; Petal, MS.
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In Christ...Alone!
We have a lot more “Sitting on Premises” than we do
“Standing on the Promises”
forget what I said on the other thread Wiley I need to learn to read Before I post.......
nah........
LOL, So true! The truth isn't funny, just the way you said it.
In Christ...Alone!
• Why does God wait so long to answer some prayers?
• What can we do to trust in the promises of God’s Word, even when He seems to be taking a long time to respond to our concerns?
• What promises did God give Abram?
• How did Abram know he could trust God?
These are some of the questions I will ask my class for the first section.
• What shortcuts to God’s timing have you been tempted to take in your lifetime?
• How have you made mistakes by taking matters into your own hands?
• Why is waiting on God a better solution than taking matters into your own hands?
And for the second section
• What challenges do older parents such as Abraham and the Cates face in rearing children?
• If God’s wisdom did not allow Abraham and Sarah to have children until their old age, what might have been gained by their waiting?
• How does waiting on the Lord help us draw closer to Him?
and the 3rd
LOL, Believe me...I understand! Imagine how confused I get when I post two different studies from the same site but with different Scriptures and different commentaries. But, Enjoy,
In Christ...Alone!
• Why does God wait so long to answer some prayers?
I don't think God does wait a long time...not for God.
Many times, we "expect" God to answer our prayers the way and the time we think we need them answered. But God is beyond time. I Believe God tries to show us, in this familiar passage, that all things will come in time but eventually, everything is made beautiful in 'His time'.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?
10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
Now that's a promises that I can trust!
In Christ...Alone!
Great Answer Wiley....
God is never late and he is always on time. Mans perspective of time always messes things up we live in a microwave world if we can’t get it now then we don’t want it.
“If I knew God I’d be Him.”
I do know God, and I'll never be Him!
In Christ...Alone!
I’m glad for you, WP.
OD, Even though you can't be God, you can know God and be an heir to God.
God's Holy Word says in Galatians 4:7, Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
You can know God but only if you know Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 14:6, ...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
We as humans try to make our on way to God, but the Bible says that Jesus Christ is the only way. Jesus said in John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Jesus made that promise and it's a promise that you can stand on and count on!
OD, these aren't my words or promises. These are God's words and promises. They can be yours too, if you'll only accept them and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
In Christ...Alone!
Saturday Evening Bump
“Standing on the Promises” bump!
Thank you, Wiley!
LOL!
Too true...;o)
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