Gen. 18:17 And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing,
Gen. 18:18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
Gen. 18:19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
Did you ever go over to a friend's place or meet someone somewhere just to spend a little time together and end up spending all day together? Some of my favorite memories are of times just hanging out with a friend and spontaneously killing time and developing the relationship we had together. This is really what is going on here between God and Abraham.
The Lord is just on the way to an appointment and He decides to pop in on his friend Abraham, just for a meal or something. The time goes so well that God decides it's time to pass out gifts for Abraham and Sarah's hospitality. This happens a lot with God. When He has a good time He starts giving out the gifts. He's just like that, I guess, a real giver.
The Lord then says something like, "Hey Abe, do you remember that time you asked why you hadn't had a son to be heir of your house? Well, I remember, and the time has come for this promise to be fulfilled. So by the next time I visit you you will have a true son of your own, and better yet, through your wife Sarah. Now look here, don't laugh, because this is serious. I can do this for you. Alright, smarty-pants, just because this really is funny, I want you to name this son of promise Isaac, because we laughed together today about this situation, and because I am really serious about this promise to give you your very own son."
So later on, in Genesis 21, the fulfillment of God's friendly promise is recorded:
Gen. 21:1 And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.
Gen. 21:2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
Gen. 21:3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac.
Gen. 21:4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
Gen. 21:5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Gen. 21:6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.”
Gen. 21:7 She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”
Now, in Biblical terms, this a hoot and a holler. God plays a trick on His old friends Abe and Sarah after promising them a son years before. All of this just because God was in a giving mood one day. Of course, He is always in a giving mood, isn't He?
So, what about you? You spend time with God. He likes that. He even likes you. I have that on good authority, by the way. So is there something you have been waiting a really long time for? Go ahead, ask for it!
One time I was driving around and I was listening to this very cool Christmas album by Stan Kenton. And the tape got eaten up in my cassette player. I was crushed. And then I prayed, "God, I know that this album is obscure and discontinued by ten to fifteen years at least, but if this album ever comes out on CD please save me a copy."
Fast forward about ten years later. It's about Christmas time and I am out shopping, and I feel this pull, this impression, to go into my neighborhood Rite Aid. I figure, "Well, maybe there's a nice Christmassy thing in there. So I look around and, well, nothing! I got a box of those chocolate cherries and was in line to pay when I look over and see on a little singular shelf of Christmas music a CD version of the Stan Kenton album I had prayed about many years ago! I'm serious! Right next to Amy Grant Christmas, Kenny Rogers Christmas and the Chipmunks, was this obscure jazz Christmas album. Less than a mile from my house. And for only six dollars and ninety-nine cents. I was shocked. I paid for it, and the chocolates, and got to my car and wept, remembering having prayed about this years before. As I sat in the car I heard that gentle voice of the Father saying, "Cliff, I hear your prayers, and nothing is too small and inconsequential to me. If it's important to you, it's important to me, because I love you. Anyway, I like that album, too!"
No comments:
Post a Comment