Hagar and Ishmael experienced God’s provision during desperation. Abraham had sent them away because Ishmael had become a threat to Isaac. While Abraham had sent some provisions, they were gone, and their situation was life-threatening. Genesis 21: 17 But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “Hagar, what’s …
God responds to our cries because He loves and cares for us. Psalm 145:18 The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. 6 Perhaps there was a significant time in your life when you cried out to the Lord, or you might be experiencing …
Earlier, Sarah and Abraham had lacked trust in God’s plan. Since Sarah had not become pregnant, she had her maid act as a surrogate for her. Ishmael was born as a result of that decision. Now, they were experiencing the consequences. Genesis 21: 9 But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making …
Navigating life’s trials can present significant challenges, but they can also offer growth opportunities. Perhaps you are currently in the middle of a trial or have experienced one in the past. There is something about trials that alters our perspective in ways we cannot fully understand otherwise. My sister’s family faced a time of great …
We can see laughter in God’s timing of Isaac’s birth. God had promised Abraham would have many descendants. When no child came for years, Sarah had her maid be a surrogate mother. Yet, that was not God’s will, and God promised Sarah would have a child. Genesis 17: 15 Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, …
God is faithful. This is a cornerstone of His nature, offering comfort to every believer. I remember ministering to a man in the later part of his life who had deep peace about his eternal future. This peace stemmed from his relationship with the Lord and assurance that God would keep His promises to those …
When God has a future, don’t hang onto the past. God told Abraham that even though he and Sarah were old, they would have a child. Abraham laughed at the thought and then asked about Ishmael. Genesis 17:18 So, Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!” [1] Understandably, Abraham was concerned about …
Why would the Lord test me when He is all-knowing? Although God is all-knowing, we are not, and tests of life reveal positive things and growth areas in our lives. God has unique plans for our life that He wants us to fulfill while on this earth. He prepares us along our journey with experiences …
There is a journey from our desires to God’s. Have you ever been surprised about how the Bible comments on itself? The writer of Hebrews wants the recipients of the letter to keep the faith. To encourage them, he wrote about people who have kept the faith in the past. He included Isaac in this …
One of the greatest gifts that can be given is the gift of blessing your children. These are godly blessings from parents by words and actions to their children. Blessings builds others up and conveys the fact that all our blessings are possible because of God. Long after our parents are gone, those early blessings …