Has God ever spoken something to you and perhaps you haven't seen it come to pass? You then begin to wonder and perhaps even laugh that you didn't hear God correctly?
That is exactly what happened to Sarah concerning the promised son that would come through the union of Abraham and Sarah, husband and wife. This was promised to them by God in the very first years of unity walking on earth. Years have gone by, years and years so many days, weeks and months that they are now 100 and 90 respectively. Then comes Genesis 21:1-2 "The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him."
What I see here is that God is faithful and that encourages me that He will do what He says He will do, all in HIS timing. Remember how Sarah got ahead of God and manipulated this promise through her maidservant, Hagar? That did nothing but complicate her life!! Her conniving and manipulating caused consequences because she didn't WAIT ON GOD!
Verses 6-7: "And Sarah said, 'God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.' And she said, 'Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.' "
God's timing does cause one to laugh because we get so tickled at how God works out what He has promised and joy bubbles up and out of us because we know that we know it was only of God, not me or anyone else, but GOD!
The next time that you begin to wonder and ponder and perhaps even stir the pot of what God has promised you, remember that with God is the very best. Waiting on Him and His timing produces no consequences, only joy and laughter.
Father, thank You for reminding me once again that Your way is the very best. When You speak a promise that You will indeed be faithful and bring it to fruition. I am simply to be still and know that You are God. In the Name that is above all names, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Lovingly at Higher Grounds,
Yolanda
**I'm reading from reading from the English Standard Version this year for my daily bible reading. If you don't see a translation listed that means it is ESV where last year was the New Living Translation. This is also my 200th posting here at Higher Grounds on the blog, and I will be doing a give-away.
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23 comments:
First of all - CONGRATS on your 200th blog post! Amazing to me that you were one of the very first blogger sisters I met! And one day we WILL meet in person this side of heaven!
Now about this post!
OH MY STARS!!!!!!!!!!
This a a WORD from the Lord for me today. I have been in Sarah's sandals and have manipulated [in the past] to try to bring about God's promises. But I have finally come to a place of REST - and now I gladly WAIT for His perfect timing! He is soooo faithful!
I just changed the header on my blog site to include verses from Romans 4 talking all about Abraham [and Sarah's] faith in their faithful God!!
Thanks for giving me a taste of God's Word today!
Seeking His Heart from the INSIDE OUT this Day!
Hugs, Stephanie
JESUS ONLY in 2010
Being patient and waiting on GOD is challenging for me, sometimes. This is a great post and great reminder for me.
Hugs, love, and blessings,
andrea
What a great word!!! There are a few things that God has promised that I have yet to see come to pass but I am believing God.
Congrats on your 200th post!!
Love you!
Patty
Honey I'm just out of a season of wondering if I heard the Lord correctly about my call to ministry. I heard correctly. He was simply using a season of quiet for a different purpose that I ever would have imagined. He's like that...all full of surprises.
Leah
Isn't it amazing how we struggle with waiting on Him & how it all ties into our love relationhip with Him. We just don't believe Him enough! We don't trust in His provision enough. God has been showing me a lot on this lately & helping me to believe Him more!
Wylie
I can't say that I know God whispered a promise to me but it's something I feel has been ingraned in me over 2.8 yrs. I guess that's part of the reason for my ever persisting doubt creeping in....
I can't confidently say He said He would do this but I feel it. If that makes a lick of sense, then give yourself a gold star for understanding me when I don't. LOL
This is right where I am right now -- waiting for His promises. I've been telling myself today, "Trust God and leave the consequences to Him". He will bring it to pass.
Thank you for this post -- loved it and needed to hear again that I just need to wait for Him. His timing is PERFECT!
Hugs,
Lisa
Congratulations on your 200th post! We need fresh perspectives out there and encouragement to read God's word. Continue keeping at it, Siesta!
So, I am teaching on Abraham on Tuesday, and any reminder of how God works on His time schedule is a good one!
God's timing .... His perfect.... ultra... perfect timing. ;) THIS SO MAKES me smile Yolanda coz it's hitting on what He showed me Saturday too! Remember awhile back I asked you about when and how you hear from God? This touched on that again as well! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and heart my dear friend.
Love ya..!
Keep SEEKING!!!!!!!
Oh, and what's the new book?
Congratulations on your 200th post. Great achievement... and we have all been privileged to be on the receiving end of what you have been sharing on your blog!
Abraham is one of my favorite characters. He is the prototype man of faith, and faith is one of the major themes of my life journey!
Thanks for sharing this. I am sure he has learned his faith lessons the hard way. I never get tired of reading about Abraham and how his faith led him to trust and rest in God.
Love
Lidj
Oh sister, I'm so-o-o glad I followed you home from your visit to my blog!
Now it's my turn to be candid (and safe) ... I have waited LONG, and I do mean LONG, to see the Lord deliver my children - and now my grandchildren - to salvation. I've never given up, nor does it discourage me. It's just such a long wait (no doubt because He as more work to do in ME than He does in THEM).
I'll be back. Blessings,
Kathleen
Wonderful post...God's timing is impeccable! :) So many times I read the story of Abraham and Sarah and knew that God would work out the details for the aching of my heart. I longed to hurry along the process but eventually came to learn so many things in that duration of time! God is so good and I know that while I never expected to have children 10 years apart - it never surprised God!
Congrats on #200! :)
How thankful I am for the faithfulness of God, even when I try and interrupt his plans with plans of my own.
A slow process of learning, sister, yet one I'm endeavoring to master.
peace~elaine
Good Monday Morning Yolanda. God's timing. I love this post. I love that we can trust Him. And, I love knowing that He is always capable in my incapability. Hugs to you Friend....
200 posts! excellent! And yes we do need to be still more and listen to what God has to say.
Love Collette xxxx
Cool, I'm using the ESV for my daily Bible reading this year, too. I've been reading from the NIV for years, and still using it for teaching/preaching, but wanted to read something different.
How are you liking it? I'm really enjoying it. It is just different enough that it slows me down and makes me compare the translations. This has been esp helpful for studying Proverbs.
You are sooooo right! I have doubted so many times and then when He finally shows me a glimpse of his plan, I am so surprised and I shouldn't be!!
Yolanda-reading this testimony was a real blessing to me! Thank you...God bless you-I pray God will continue to bless you and bring reconciliation with your family-someday. Meantime, as you wait for God to work in their hearts, I respect your determination to grow and bless others around you. You are a blessing to me! LOVE YOU
Your words bless dear sister!!! Congratulations on the 200 posts and I pray continued blessings over you as you continue to share your heart and passion for the LORD with us.
I love you. I'm standing on GOD's word for all areas. He is faithful.
Just read another blog post on waiting. Wow the timing is so God! Thank you.
Sitka has an award for you at All Gods Creatures.
andrea
Congrats on your 200th post Yolanda. What an accomplishment.
In 200 posts you have shared so much of God's truth with us. You have grown immensely in your knowledge of Him and that is something to be celebrated.
Thank you for being such a blessing.
Oh Yolanda, I can't tell you how this spoke to my heart today. God gave me what I call an Abraham promise over 18 years ago that has not come to pass.
I can't tell you how many times I have gone back to Him and asked if I really heard Him or if I misunderstood.
I honestly don't think Sarah was trying to be manipulative. I think in her limited understanding she was trying to apply logic to the situation. I think she believed that God opened and closed the womb and hers was closed so giving her servant to her husband made some sense to her. The child would be considered hers by law in those days.
I'm not justifying her actions. She still should have waited. I just don't think it was intentional malice. Just my thoughts and I could be very wrong.
In any case, waiting is hard. Thank you for this encouragement today.
Congratulations on your 200th post! Woo Hoo!
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