All too often life seems to catch us in the in-between places of sound and silence. We cry out to God, we hear His voice, and then all goes silent. Did God really hear me? Did the Father actually respond to my prayer or am I just imagining things.
Genesis 25:20-26 Now Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to be his wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean. And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, AND [20 years later] Rebekah his wife conceived……Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
Genesis 12:4… Abraham was promised by God he would be the father of many nations… [at age 75]
AND 10 years went by with no child…
Genesis 16:1-6 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sarai said to Abram, May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me! But Abram said to Sarai, Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please. Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.
AND another 12 years wend by with no child…
Genesis 17:1-4 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly…Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?
AND several months later, God appears to Abraham again at age 99…
Genesis 18:11-14 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure? 13 The Lord said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh and say, Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old? 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.
When we read these stories, the promise of God seems so sure and the people seem so strong. Yet, how little we know about their doubts, fears, questions and hurts while living through the hours, days, months and years of the AND.
- When God makes a promise, never lose hope!
- When God makes a promise, don’t let someone else steal it away.
- When God makes a promise, never regret living in the AND.
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Oh how perfectly that describes my life right now
I’ll tell Amberlyn you posted this. She referred to this sermon in her last myspace blog.