Do you believe that God’s Promises are real? That He can do what He says He can do? It’s so easy, in a world of broken promises, to get a very jaded attitude about this subject. Promises are made and broken with such regularity it’s what we expect to happen. In the story of Abram and Sarai we are given a glimpse into a Promise Kept.
Wikipedia
I’m sure you know the story…God told Abram to pick up his family, flocks and possessions and move from Ur to where ever He told him to stop. God’s promise was that Abram’s offspring would number more than the stars in the sky and the sand on the beach. So Abram said sure, I can do that and he began walking. He got side-tracked a bit when they stopped in Haran to visit his father. During the lengthy visit his father died and he remembered what God had promised so off he went again.
Abram and Sarai seemed to like doing things themselves rather than waiting on God. (How much like us is that?) During their journey Abram passed off Sarai as his sister to protect themselves. (BTW she really was his half-sister. It was very common to marry within the family at that time because there weren’t a lot of options.) Sarai got tired of waiting for this promised heir, so she gave Abram Hagar to have a child with. The child was conceived, born and caused no end of envy in Sarai’s heart. Abraham got so tired of her constant nagging that he told her to do whatever she wanted with Hagar. That nearly cost Hagar and Ismael their lives, but God intervened and promised a great heritage to them, also. We are still seeing the impact of Sarai’s misguided decision today–Isaacs descendants are, of course, the Israelites and Ishmail’s are the Arabs…need I say more on that?
Abraham and the Three Angels by J.Tissot
There is another part to this story that tells us Sarai had pretty much given up on the Promise. When the three men came to visit Abram in Shechem (the fulfillment of the land part of the Promise) they told Abram they would visit again in a year and at that time he would have a son. Sarai, who was standing in the tent listening, thought to herself–Yeah! Right! Not gonna happen. I’m to old. Ha! Ha! When asked why she laughed she said I didn’t. The man said, yes, you did! Genesis 18 verses 1 and 2 tell us who these visitors were. Abram addresses Him as LORD (It’s capitalized in every translation I read which means a direct reference to Yahwah!) Sarai’s denial of laughter makes sense when we realize that God was the One who ‘heard’ her.
God followed through and Isaac was born. Not only Isaac but three more sons and two daughters. When Isaac was 37 years old Sarah went to her reward. In her lifetime she learned a very important concept…God keeps His promises.
Heavenly Father, Lord of all, help me realize and recognize Your Promises. I give You thanks for all You’ve given me! I ask that You make me constantly aware of You and Your blessings. I lift this prayer in the Precious Name of Jesus. Make it so!
The story of Abraham and Sarah can be found in the following scripture:
Genesis 11 – 21
A Satisfied Spirit 
Hi Marie, I really love the Top of your Blog and the Butterflies in The Background, they both look so good and I also appreciate very much and have since I started visiting you, that you value the Scriptures I share, I know some ignore them but I always feel blessed knowing you take them to heart, we all need to do this as we seek The Lord’s understanding of them. (1 Corinthians2:9-16 )
Thanks again Christian Love – Anne
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Very True Marie God hears those who are His and holds our words of Love close to His heart but He tells us He does not take to heart the words of those who mock Him, the word used in the Hebrew is Laughs but that is what it means.
Sarah was not mocking God, just showing her unbelief, I don’t know about you Marie but I would have been asking God to help my unbelief too, I did this even after years of being part of a Church family and thankfully God answered my prayer. He tells us to make every thought captive to Him, in other words not only our good ones but to also bring our doubts and fears to Him to resolve, if there is something I don’t understand now I talk to Jesus and He helps me.
God tells us He sees sinners from afar, God does not store up their negative words or thoughts in His heart but those who reject Him will be held accountable for them, but when we have heart repentance, all that is negative will be washed away.
Christian Love from us both – Anne
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A great message Marie and very True, but to be honest if God told us we were going to have a flesh and blood baby at our age, I wouldn’t laugh, maybe panic a bit, until I remembered He would also equip us but a Spiritual baby would be good, no nappies, I don’t have a Hagar to hang them out but then there are disposable ones today!
Seriously though, as you shared Marie, God does indeed keep His promises, past present and future and we are the Spiritual Children of the Promise, as Romans and Galatians tell us, (see below) and we do outnumber the grains of sand from the beginning to our Eternity in Heaven.
Romans 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Galatians 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the Promise.
Jesus said, we don’t have if we don’t ask but we need to believe we have received too, yes when we ask according to His will, meaning in agreement with Him, will we receive.
Luke 11:9-11 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.
Christian Love Always from both of us – Anne
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My Bible Study women had quite a good thing with this story! A baby at 90…Maybe the world was different then but, still… One of the truths we talked about was that the LORD, who was visiting Abram at the time, heard Sarai laugh. The Bible says she laughed to herself and we spent a great deal of time talking about the fact that God is aware of every private thought. The Word tells us in Phil. 4:4 that we are to think on whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, praiseworthy, and good. Sarai’s derisive laugh was none of these things. It made me wonder how many times I have laughed in my mind at what someone else, or even God, said. Powerful stuff there! Blessings on blessings to you and Ron. Marie
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I love your scripture references. There is always something to be thinking about.
Blessing to you and Ron!
Marie
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