The Last Laugh (25 of 54)
Series: The Book of Beginnings
Keith Krell
Genesis 21:1-21
Two young girls were talking and one said she had ten pennies. The other girl looked at her hand and only saw five. So she said, ''You only have five pennies.'' The first girl replied, ''I have five and my father told me he would give me five more tonight. So I have ten.'' This little girl understood that her father's promise was as good as done.
Our heavenly Father has a passion for you and me to become like this little girl. He longs for us to take Him at His Word and trust that His promises are as good as done. Unfortunately, we are a bit cynical. We live in an era of unfulfilled promises. Nations sign important treaties and then break them at will. Married couples show little regard for their wedding vows. Employers promise one thing and deliver another. At times it seems that no one can be trusted-no one is honest-no one keeps his word. Thus, we have a sarcastic phrase for our jaded skepticism: ''Promises, promises!''
In Genesis 21:1-21, we will be challenged with a truthful phrase: God always performs what He promises. Therefore, we can trust in God because He is faithful, powerful, sovereign, and compassionate.
1. Trust in God because He is faithful and powerful (21:1-7). The events of 21:1-7 can be seen in three different dimensions. In 21:1-2, we see the divine dimension in the birth of Isaac. Verses 3-5 record the response of Abraham to the birth of his son. Finally, in 21:6-7, we have the jubilance of Sarah over the arrival of the long-awaited child, who is the joy of her life.
In 21:1-2, we see the divine dimension. Moses writes, ''Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.'' After 25 years, God fulfills His Word to Abraham and Sarah-the miracle child is born (cf. 17:16; 18:14). M ...
Series: The Book of Beginnings
Keith Krell
Genesis 21:1-21
Two young girls were talking and one said she had ten pennies. The other girl looked at her hand and only saw five. So she said, ''You only have five pennies.'' The first girl replied, ''I have five and my father told me he would give me five more tonight. So I have ten.'' This little girl understood that her father's promise was as good as done.
Our heavenly Father has a passion for you and me to become like this little girl. He longs for us to take Him at His Word and trust that His promises are as good as done. Unfortunately, we are a bit cynical. We live in an era of unfulfilled promises. Nations sign important treaties and then break them at will. Married couples show little regard for their wedding vows. Employers promise one thing and deliver another. At times it seems that no one can be trusted-no one is honest-no one keeps his word. Thus, we have a sarcastic phrase for our jaded skepticism: ''Promises, promises!''
In Genesis 21:1-21, we will be challenged with a truthful phrase: God always performs what He promises. Therefore, we can trust in God because He is faithful, powerful, sovereign, and compassionate.
1. Trust in God because He is faithful and powerful (21:1-7). The events of 21:1-7 can be seen in three different dimensions. In 21:1-2, we see the divine dimension in the birth of Isaac. Verses 3-5 record the response of Abraham to the birth of his son. Finally, in 21:6-7, we have the jubilance of Sarah over the arrival of the long-awaited child, who is the joy of her life.
In 21:1-2, we see the divine dimension. Moses writes, ''Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.'' After 25 years, God fulfills His Word to Abraham and Sarah-the miracle child is born (cf. 17:16; 18:14). M ...
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