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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
The contemporary song An On Time God contains these lines: “He may not come when you want Him to, but He'll be there right on time.” Whoever wrote these lines either knew Him or His book (or both), because these sentiments are right on the mark. And in the context of this series, to know that God is always right on time is the source of great comfort.
God promised Abram, childless at the time, that he would become the father of a great nation and that through his seed all families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12.1-3). Along with that promise came instructions that he should move away from his homeland and go to a place entirely foreign to him. Abram believed God and proceeded to uproot family and belongings and begin the long journey from the Ur of the Chaldeas to Haran and then to the land of Canaan. Abram and his yet barren wife, Sarai, eventually completed their journey, living first in Shechem and then in Bethel. After a stint in Egypt due to a famine, Abram returned to the promised land where he eventually settled near Hebron.
Now well past eighty years of age and still childless, Abram asked God directly to give him some proof that he would not remain childless. In answer to that request, God made a blood covenant with Abram as evidence of the truthfulness of His promises. In addition to the solemn oath of God, there were miraculous manifestations that attested to the veracity of God's word to Abram concerning his descendents (see Genesis 15 for a full accounting of this covenant and the activities that accompanied it). However, sometime after this, these renown people began to believe that God was late or a no show!
“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, 'See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.' And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.” (Genesis 16.1-4). “So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.” (Genesis 16.15-16).
“Then God said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.' Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, 'Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?' And Abraham said to God, 'Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!' Then God said: 'No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.'” (Genesis 17.15-21).
Abram and Sarai thought God was late. So, at Sarai's bidding, the first Ladies' Aid Society was formed to help God fulfill His promise. Mark it down! God never needs our help to fulfill His promises. And, when He wants our help, He always asks for it with explicit details. God may not come when we want Him to, but He'll be there right on time!
Questions:
1. Why did Sarai suggest that Abram take her handmaid, Hagar?
2. What reason had God given Abram and Sarai to believe that He could and would fulfill His promises?
3. What is meant by the statement that God does not need our help to fulfill His promises?
4. Who are we to question God's timing? What resources are at our disposal to make such judgments? What resources are at His disposal to insure that He is always right on time?
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