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"But he must ask in faith
without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the
surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that
man ought not to expect that he will receive anything
from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in
all his ways." James 1:6-8
God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah when Sarah was
65 years old. Sarah’s womb had been barren her whole
life and yet now pass menopause she was expected to
believe this promise. When God initially gave this
promise to Abraham Sarah was carefully listening from
inside her tent. When she heard what seemed like a
ridiculous promise she lost control and laughed. This
did not escape the Lord’s notice but when He questioned
her she denied it.
Year after year went by and yet Sarah did not conceive.
She just couldn’t seem to believe that God was able to
fulfill His
promise of a son. According to the Scriptures it was 25
years later when Sarah was 90 years old that she
conceived the promised child.
You might ask what took God so long? But God would
answer with the same question, -"What took you so
long to receive and believe the promise?" Hebrews
11 tells us that Sarah received the ability to conceive
when she believed. Sarah did not believe when she was 65
years old but did finally believe when she was 90 years
old. As today’s text says -without expectation no one
can receive anything from the Lord. The Bible says that
without faith no one can please God, for we must believe
He will do what He promises.
Man often thinks this way, -"I will believe it when I
see it." But
God thinks this way, -"You will see it when you
believe it." Sometimes
we must be willing to abandon reason and accept miracles
and healing just like we accept salvation. It is not
about feeling or seeing, but about God’s faithfulness to
His unchangeable Word.
As Paul wrote -"We walk by
faith, not by sight." Faith
is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction
of things not yet seen. By faith God spoke all creation
into existence. God is able to speak into existence
anything and everything we ask, no matter how impossible
it seems. God works best in the realm of impossibility,
because there is nothing impossible for God,- if we will
believe, we will see.
I’m so glad that God has such a good sense of humor.
Sarah laughed at God’s promise of a son yet rather than
chasten her He commanded that she name her son "Isaac"
which means "laughter." Every time that Sarah called her
son she was reminded that she once laughed at what
seemed to be a ridiculous promise from God. Let us learn
from Sarah and never limit God’s power to deliver on His
promises.
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