My last devotional ended with a thought that "At times of crisis in life, it will become clearer as to who we are going with".
A crisis situation, is when we are NOT in total control, as we would like it to be.
We are caught in the muck and are struggling to get out, if there is a way out.
Usually that's when we doubt our faith, our vocation, our belief in God & the promises we hold on to, etc. etc. etc.
We are now in the book of Genesis, where God initiates the covenant promise with Abram.
All is not well with Abram as he sojourns with God.
After his nephew Lot had chosen the best lot (cf. 13:11) - God gave Abram the whole lot (13:13-17), as we saw in the earlier devotional thought.
In chp.15, we see Abram struggling to accept the promise which the Lord gives him.
vs.1 - "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward".
And that's because he is caught in the muddle here. He cannot look beyond his present situation.
Abram is well advanced in years .. perhaps 85 yrs. old (16:16 - Abram was 86 when Ishmael was born to Hagar).
It's a good 10 years from the time when the promise was first given to Abram in 12:1-4, that He will make him into a great nation.
At this stage, Abram is not even a father to ONE, let alone a nation!
Coming back to Chp.15 - Abram now thinks that this promise 'to be his heir', could be for his servant, Eliezer. But the Lord assures him otherwise in vs.4 - "This man will NOT be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir".
That's an encouraging factor .. but then he misinterprets that in Chp.16, when his beautiful wife Sarai, suggests that he takes his maid and has a son - who could be his heir.
Sounds a cheeky advice .. but the promise of the Lord was still a bit vague, as He had said it will be a son coming from his own body - note: no mention of Sarai here!
However, going back to chp.15:8 Abram still confused about this particular promise. And this is where God re-assures Abram of what He is going to do.
God puts Abram to sleep (vs.12 f.), and He allows a dreadful darkness to come over him and then He speaks what is to happen several centuries later - with the children of Israel going into captivity, followed by the redemption under Moses, which is 8-10 generations later.
Now, here is Abram struggling to get a hang of what is going on right now .. and God is assuring Him of something which is going to happen way beyond him.
Abram didn't find a direct answer, but in God's big picture, is the answer to Abram's immediate.
And it took another 14 years or so, before the promised son, Isaac - comes about.
Moses, in Deut. 9:4-6 highlights this very assurance to the 2nd generation of Israelites who are about to go in and possess the promised land. So, what God assured Abram is now being fulfilled and along the way, the promise to Abram is also fulfilled.
I tend to look for solutions immediately for my nagging problem or my current crisis. But when God gives me an answer into the distant future, I don't like it .. as I want something now.
When I went in for a corrective surgery on my leg a few years ago, I had 3 people confirm through dreams they had about me that I was walking around and playing with my kids at the end of it.
When I heard about those dreams, I didn't make much of it as it sounded a bit odd - as I didn't expect anything untoward to happen to me.
But little did I realize, that things would take a massive turn during the course of my hospitalization, and it ended up being a dreadful path.
But through that time, I was assured of the fact, that God is in control .. as I had an answer that I would be walking around again - though it's different - I am walking nevertheless!
How about you?
Are you in a crisis right now?
Are you hearing God talk to you something into the immediate or distant future, which you don't understand now?
Don't worry - the answer to your current situation is in that, as well as a hope for your future.
Let's not give up - there's light at the end of the tunnel, because God is there.
He certainly looks beyond our current situation which you and I can't see.
Let's go with Him / let's trust in His promises and see the fulfillment.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
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