Hagar discovered a God who sees and hears when she was alone in the desert. This was such an incredible revelation that she called God by a different name. She even gave a new name to the place where God had appeared to her. Genesis 16: 13 Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the …
I think every pregnant woman wonders, “What will my child be like?” God revealed what Hagar’s child would be like to encourage her in a difficult time. Genesis 16: 10 Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.” 11 And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth …
Submitting to God transforms our actions. Submission and change are hard, but why? Our sinful nature desires to rebel against God because we think we know more than He does. As an immature believer, I didn’t realize the importance of submitting to God and learned some faith lessons the hard way. You may have experienced …
God seeks us. This is a magnificent characteristic of our Lord. God had commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But when they disobeyed, the Lord sought them out. As people, we are much like sheep: we get lost. When this happens, the Lord doesn’t …
This week’s story shows Sarai, Abram, and Hagar all struggling to take responsibility. God had given Abram a promise of many descendants but Sarai remained infertile. They were both past childbearing age, so Sarai had her maid, Hagar, act as a surrogate. After Hagar became pregnant, she became disrespectful to Sarai. This was a problem, …
Throughout history, people have made culturally acceptable but morally wrong decisions with unexpected consequences. Our founding fathers had a chance to outlaw slavery in 1776, but did not. Slavery was culturally acceptable at the time. This morally wrong decision would impact millions of people and have lasting repercussions to this day. God gives a rule …
When reason collides with faith, we begin making decisions based on worldly wisdom rather than trusting God’s guidance. Hebrews 11:1Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.[1] In Genesis 15:4, the Lord told Abram that he would have a son of his own to be his …
We see Abram can trust God when the path is unclear. God made a promise of land to Abram through a covenant. Genesis 15: 18 So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great …
God’s unwavering faithfulness to His children is a profound treasure of His love. This steadfast faithfulness is shown in God’s covenant with Abram. Genesis 15:17 After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. 18 So the Lord made a covenant with …
Many think that once they come to faith in Jesus, they are on easy street. However, God’s promises have trials and triumphs. Perhaps Abram thought all of God’s promises would come true in his lifetime. Before God finished the ceremony for His covenant agreement, He gave Abram a prophecy. Genesis 15: 13 Then the Lord said …