Abraham: A Life of Obedience

11/09/21 – 11/18/21

God Will Act

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  11/15/21

Disobedience disrupts our walk of faith. Even though God had promised Abraham many descendants, he and his wife Sarah had yet to bear any children. After years of frustration, Sarah began to blame God for her barrenness. She even said to Abraham, “The LORD has kept me from having children” (Genesis 16:2).

This is an easy trap to fall into. When things go wrong or don’t make sense, we blame God. Like Sarah, we are tempted to short-circuit God’s plan. Even if we disobey God out of good intentions, the result is still heartache. But God always keeps His promises, even if they do not follow our preferred timeline. God will act; He is faithful, and this shouldn’t surprise us.

When Sarah heard the news that she would finally bear a son, she laughed and thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” Sarah had become bitter and wounded—she was faithless. “Then the LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, “Will I really have a child, now that I am old?” Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son'” (Genesis 18:12-14).

There is nothing too difficult for the Lord! But when we allow our doubts and disbeliefs to taint our faith, we miss out on the joy of watching God’s plan unfold in our lives. When we begin to doubt God’s wisdom and providence, we backtrack in our journey of faith. As we have learned from Abraham, only when we remain in God’s will can we receive His promised blessings. When we try to force our own plans, we cause ourselves misery.

Prayer: Father, help me trust You, even when it may seem like things are not going the way they should. Help me remember that nothing is too difficult for You and that Your plans are always better than mine! I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off” (Proverbs 23:18).