When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me faithfully and be blameless.” Genesis 17:1 NIV
Our last view of Abram found him attempting to help the Lord. He was trying to solve a problem he felt was far too hard for the Lord. He and Sarai felt they had the solution to the problem, and Abram took Hagar, Sarai’s handmaid, for a wife. Of that union was born Ishmael, Israel’s continual thorn in the flesh until this day. Thirteen years elapsed between the account of Chapter 16 and that of Chapter 17, and we can well suspect these were years of unhappiness and unrest in the household of Abram. The presence of Ishmael in the home created endless contempt, bitterness, envy, jealousy, weariness of spirit, and rebellion. These thirteen years were designed of the Lord to teach Abram the folly of acting on his own. Perhaps you have had some similar experience, when the Lord has allowed you to have your own way, and the results have been most distressing. You were permitted to go your own headstrong way in order that you might learn the folly of acting apart from the Lord. One of the most frightening things about life with the Lord is this fact: that, if we insist upon having our own way, He will often let us have it, till you are sorry you asked for it. ” So He gave them what they asked for,” (Psalms 106:15 NIV) But after thirteen years of heartache, a new aspect of God’s grace opens before Abram. New developments are unfolded in Chapter 17.
PRAYER THOUGHT
Lord, we repent of insisting on doing things our own way.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord Your ways are just and true, and we repent of always seeking our way instead of Your way in doing things. AMEN
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)
Exodus 18:9-27
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