The Overwhelming Importance for Christians to Be Patient and not Hasty, and to Wait on God’s Timing!

10 Dec 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Isaiah 52:12.           ‘For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward (rear guard).’

Well friends, it’s one of those days, when we are reminded that winter is in the air! (smile) And the snow began falling early this Wednesday morning, and in some places, like my area, it’s still falling. Therefore you can imagine what the morning commute was like, or rather is like. I’ve seen several pictures of accidents and road blocks caused by the snow and inappropriate driving. But it looks like the snow plows and sanders are our in full force and are doing their best to keep up with the falling snow. 

Let’s hope and pray that by the time evening commute rolls around that things would have settled down and the roads will not be as dangerous, although there are always impatient and ignorant folks who try to go too fast and cause accidents. And I guess that’s a good enough reason for us to check out some scriptures on haste and impatience today. And I like the overview on the subject from this commentary. ‘Scriptures often caution against haste and impatience, linking them to foolishness, mistakes, and a lack of trust in God’s timing. Instead, the Bible encourages diligence, patience, and seeking wisdom before acting.’ 

And that’s the living truth. We see much loss in scripture by haste and not waiting on God’s timing, like how King Saul, the first king of Israel lost his kingship due to his impatience in offering a sacrifice. And Abraham and Sarah’s impatience to have a child of their own, led them to father one with their Egyptian maid Hagar, Ishmael, which only caused family conflict back then, with Isaac their natural son, and is till causing it today, between the Jews and the Muslims. 

And Cousin Sol, the wisest man, had a lot to tell us about haste. Proverbs 19 opens with two dillies. ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good: and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.’ (Prov. 19:1-2) Yes friends, desire without knowledge and hasty actions can certainly lead to serious mistakes and even more serious consequences. 

Then in Proverbs 21, Cousin Sol offers this bit of awesome wisdom. ‘The thoughts (plans) of the diligent tend only (lead surely) to plenteousness; but every one that is hasty only to want (surely to poverty). (Prov. 21:19) And we all know there’s much truth in those words, as many of us have experienced them in our own lives, where instead of careful planning, we hastened to get plenty, but instead suffered disappointment. As the old people would say, more haste, less speed. And again, the Proverbs of Cousin Sol offers up this gem re hastiness. ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impulsive) exalteth folly.’ (Prov. 14:29)

 Meanwhile in Ecclesiastes, writing as the Preacher, Cousin Sol offers up this other tidbit on haste. ‘Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.’ (Eccl. 7:9) More unadulterated truth! And the last piece of wisdom from Cousin Sol is this: ‘A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent (go unpunished).’ (Prov. 28:20) And we see that happening every day, especially in this current greedy and avaricious society, people rushing to get rich and falling flat on their faces. 

But Isaiah however tells us about waiting on God’s timing. ‘For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward (rear guard).’ (Is. 52:12) And we also get the same wise advice from Isaiah. 40. ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run , and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31) Yes my faithful brethren, God’s protection is always present when we wait on him, and don’t rush out in haste or fear. Furthermore, in Galatians, Bruh Paul lists patience (longsuffering) as a fruit of the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22-23) 

Then in the epistle of James, he cautions us re patience and anger, when he writes: ‘Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:19-20) Then Romans 12:12, tells us about patience in affliction as an aspect of faith ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ And in Bruh Paul’s letter to the Colossians, when talking about walking worthy of the Lord, he exhorts: ‘Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.’ (Col. 1:12) 

There we have it friends, walking with God in patience and joyfulness despite what might happen to us. And we’ll close with this gem from the pen of Bruh David in Psalm 27 that we all know. ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith) I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) 

Now, with all those wise and wonderful words of scripture on haste and patience under our belts, lets’ go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And the long and short of the story is that if we endure to the very end with Jesus, then we will enjoy a future even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, wisdom dictates that we endure to the very end, so we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…patience is the bedrock of the Christian life…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 22 November 2013 Genesis 22:18

22 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Genesis 22:18.    And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
 
Aye mih people, it’s Friday morning, and I hear you loudly shouting ‘TGIM! Thank God it’s Friday! The weekend is here, and no more work for two big days! Pappy oh! That means it’s party time!’
 
But hold on a minute mih people, that’s the way the world looks at it. True followers of Jesus ought to look at it in a different light though; the light that our Friday Chant extols. So please let’s chant our Friday Chant instead, so that we can bring the right attitude, the correct perspective to the wonderful weekend ahead of us.
 
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
 
Now that, my Friends and fellow believers is more in keeping with what our response to the weekend ought to be! And the time has come to turn to our Bit, the same one as yesterday: ‘And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.’
 
We saw yesterday where the Lord commanded Abraham to go to the land of Moriah and sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering. No doubt Abraham experienced great internal stress, since the Lord’s command deviated substantially from His promise to make him the father of many nations through Isaac.
 
However, on the outside, Abraham remained calm and did what the Lord commanded. And when he was about to slay Isaac, the Lord stopped him, then provided a lamb for the purpose, and in honour of the Lord’s faithfulness, Abraham called the place Jehovah-jireh (the Lord will provide; for He did indeed provide in Abraham’s time of want. (Gen.22:1-14)
 
Now that whole episode makes me wonder what effect it had on young Isaac. How he must have fretted eh, especially after asking his father about the animal to be sacrificed, being told that the Lord would provide one, then having his father bind him upon the altar to use him as the sacrifice. (Gen.22:7-8)
 
The Good Book doesn’t say anything about it, but one way or the other, it must have had a great impact on Isaac, a mere youth at the time. But that unselfish act of Abraham must be considered as one of the greatest acts of faith ever shown by a believer, especially in those first days when the Lord was trying to put His chosen people together.
 
The Lord must also have been greatly moved, for as the Good Book tells it: ‘And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
 
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed (descendants) as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
 
So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.’ (Gen.22:15-19)
 
Yes Friends, that’s the magnanimous, ever-faithful God that we serve! When we are faithful to obey His commands, especially those real deep, soul searching one, He honours us superbly! You can certainly see why He eventually made Abraham the father of many nations; his faith and trust were exceedingly great!
 
Now here are some relevant thoughts on the situation from the scholars. ’22:1-14. God did tempt Abraham: The word tempt is better rendered as “proved or tested.” God does not tempt anyone with evil (James 1:13), but in certain instances, He does test, try, or prove us (James 1:2; 1 Pet 1:6-7). Therefore we must assume that the command to sacrifice Isaac was not evil. God knew what He would do in the end. He had no intention to permit the murder of Isaac.
 
The reason God prohibited the Israelites from following the example of the Gentiles who offered their own children as sacrifices to their gods (Deut.12:31) was that such monstrous deeds were in contradiction to the character of the true God. Abraham’s faith was being tried. This was the entire purpose of the episode.
 
Moriah was in the general area that included the hills on which Solomon later built his temple in Jerusalem (2 Chr. 3:1) The journey was about 50 miles. God will provide is a phrase that would be immortalized in the name of the place in verse 14.
 
Now I know that thou fearest God indicates that God was certain that Abraham feared (reverenced) Him more than anyone else, since he was willing to offer Him his son. So God provided a ram as a substitute for Isaac. (cf. John 1:19)’  
 
Ah my brethren, our great God does move in mysterious ways, but He’s never reneged, or will He ever renege on any of His promises! That’s the point that we’re trying to make.
 
He promised Noah a rainbow as a token of His covenant, and even to this day, thousands of years later, the beautiful rainbow of God’s promise still graces our skies every so often.
 
Likewise Abraham, though he experienced a lot of negatives on his journey of faith in and for God, today, most of the world, Jews, Christians and Muslims are all considered descendants of Abraham through Isaac, Jesus and Ishmael respectively. 
 
Wow! The Lord indeed kept His awesome promise, making him a father of many nations, and his heritage known around the world. That just goes to show my people that we can faithfully trust the God of Noah and Abraham to keep His promises to all and sundry, without any exceptions.
 
So Friends, if the Lord is talking to you today, please listen closely, then do as he asks. You’ll cause yourself less problems in the long run, for if He really wants you, He’ll eventually get you, the hard way. I can tell you that from personal experience.
 
So whenever he comes a-calling, just say, ‘Yes Lord! How high Lord?’ And then jump to it. That’s wisdom at its zenith. Much LOVE!
 
…as per Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley)…the wisest move we can ever make…is simply to obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him… 
 
P.S. Yes Friends, I know it’s a tad long, but I just wanted to finish the messages on Abraham’s promise today. So please bear with the ole fella, since it’s all for your enlightenment and edification. (smile) Much LOVE!
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 November 2013 Genesis 21:13

20 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Genesis 21:13.    And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed (descendant).
 
Oh Friends, the ole fella has a rather profound statement to make on this chilly, November morning! (smile)

And don’t worry, it’s not from me, but is attributed to an American politician, Everett M. Dirkson (1896-1969), a U.S. senator and Congressman, a member of the Republican Party. And he’s reputed to have said this famous line: ‘Life is not a static thing.’
 
And isn’t that the gospel truth Friends? It surely is! For change is one of the few things we can count on to occur in our lives. It’s a constant; one that sometimes comes slowly, but at other times quite quickly and dramatically.
 
Now most of us can handle the slow, sort of unnoticeable changes, but it’s the big, quick ones we don’t like, because they suddenly throw everything off kilter, our calm and peace are shattered, often without warning. Note the deadly typhoon in the Philippines last week, and the destructive tornadoes and thunderstorms in North America a couple days ago.
 
But my people, to live a full, interesting and godly life, we must be able to handle change in any form and fashion it comes. Many of us pray the Serenity Prayer when things start going haywire.
 
 ‘God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the Courage to change the things I can; and the Wisdom to know the difference.’
 
Yes Friends, it is a sensible prayer, but along with it comes the necessity to have the faith and trust that whatever and wherever God’s Holy Spirit leads and guides us, that’s what we ought to do, and where we ought to go. It’s all impossible without strong faith and trust my brethren!
 
That brings us to our Bit. ‘And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed (descendant).’
 
Now what’s happening here eh? It’s simple; like what we were just talking about, families going through tough changes, which eventually breed bitterness and resentment.
 
Hear the Good Book tell it. ‘And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking (scoffing, laughing). Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
 
And the thing was very grievous (distressing) in Abraham’s sight because of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice (listen to her); for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed (descendant).’ (Gen.21:9-13)
 
Yuh see mih breddren, even in the most godly and trusting families, the evil one often manages to get a foothold. Now what did Sarah expect from Ishmael eh, when all his cherished hopes and dreams of being Abraham’s firstborn and heir were shattered by Isaac’s arrival?
 
The poor lad did the little he could, mock and laugh. But that drove Sarah crazy with resentment and jealousy, and she then entreats Abraham to kick out Hagar and Ishmael. What a change from when she was barren and entreating him to go in and lie with Hagar. Now that she has a son though, she doesn’t want anyone else hanging around.
 
Ah Lord eh! The pettiness and jealousies of the human animal! And what of poor Abraham? Obviously Sarah’s request didn’t sit well with him, but the Lord saw his distress and told him it was okay. For though Isaac would be his official heir, Ishmael would also become great, because he was Abraham’s child.
 
I don’t know if that quieted or relieved Abraham’s distress, but the Good Book tells us: ‘And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle (skin) of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child (youth), and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
 
And the water was spent (used up) in the bottle (skin), and she cast (placed) the child under one of the shrubs. And she went and sat down over against (opposite) him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against (opposite) him, and lift up her voice, and wept. 
 
And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in (with) thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
 
And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the bottle (skin) with water, and gave the lad to drink. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.’ (Gen.21:14-21)
 
Ah mih people, yuh see what happens when we don’t have the patience, trust and faith to wait on God and His promises! Sarah’s impatience and Abraham’s folly for listening to her to go in and lie with Hagar, eventually caused all sorts of turmoil in the family. A turmoil that unfortunately still exists today, between the Jews, descendants of Isaac, and the Muslims, descendants of Ishmael.
 
However Friends, time and space have run out, so we’ll end on that note. And please, let’s all be careful of our actions nuh, let’s think wisely before we act, talk to the Lord first, because we never know when some apparently trivial thing will blow up in our faces, and cause substantial changes and heartaches in our lives. Much LOVE!
 
…for each action…there’s always a reaction…so let’s seriously consider the reaction…before committing the action…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 November 2013 Genesis 17:1-2

17 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Genesis 17:1-2.    And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God (El Shaddai); walk before me, and be thou perfect (blameless). And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
 
Oh Friends, is Sunday morning! Hear them church bells ringing nuh! Is we deh calling yes, saying: Come and worship, praise and thank Him; Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour; our Prince of Peace; our Emmanuel; the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, to whom every knee shall one day bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord indeed, to the glory of God the Father! 
 
What an awesome, divine, undeniable, indisputable truth my people! And all God’s children shouted ‘Praise the Lord!’
 
And continuing on with God’s promises to Abram, we see from our Bit, that thirteen years after Ishmael is born to Hagar, Sarai’s Egyptian maid, the Lord comes back to Abram with the promise of giving him a multitude of descendants. ‘And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God (El Shaddai); walk before me, and be thou perfect (blameless). And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.’
 
Ah Friends, I wonder what went through Abram’s mind eh? Did he think thoughts like: ‘But Lord you promised me that some twenty three years ago, and still nothing has happened. I only have this child by Hagar which doesn’t seem to fit your plans. How long am I supposed to wait eh? Sarai and I are getting older and closer to death everyday.’
 
The important point here though my fellow believers is that despite what Abram felt or thought, his response to God’s promises was certainly respectful and reverential. The Good Book describes it thus: ‘And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many (a multitude of) nations. Neither (no longer) shall thy name any more be called Abram (High, Exalted Father), but thy name shall be Abraham (Father of a multitude); for a father of many nations have I made thee.
 
And I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. and I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed (descendants) after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. and I will give unto thee, and to thy seed, the land wherein thou art a stranger (of your sojourning), all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.’ (Gen.17:3-8)
 
Oh Friends, what a weighty set of promises to lay on a hundred year old man eh! Now to us it might seem like a lot, but back in those day men lived for hundreds of years and continued fathering children. (Gen.11:10-32) Even Abraham’s father, Terah must have sired him around age 130, since Abram was 75 when he left home and Terah died at 205 years old. (Gen.11:32)
 
So here’s poor Abram, God has piled up the promises: He’s changed his name from Abram to Abraham. All sorts of royalty will come from him, and the land of Canaan would belong to his descendants in perpetuity, and El Shaddai will be their God. Abraham’s mind must have been spinning. But God wasn’t done, He finally adds the clincher.
 
‘And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in (throughout) their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token (sign) of the covenant betwixt me and thou.’ (Gen.17:9-11)
 
Ah Friends, the stakes were now getting higher. As a sign of the covenant with God, Abraham, his male descendants and all other males born or dwelling in their community had to be circumcised. At eight days old every male child had to be circumcised. And anyone who wasn’t circumcised would be considered cut off from God’s people, a breaker of the holy covenant. (Gen.17:12-14)
 
Hear how the scholars put it: ’17:9-14. Abraham’s part in the covenant-making process was circumcision, which God established as a sign of the covenant to indicate that his offspring were uniquely dedicated to God. (Ex. 4:24-26; Rom. 4:11). A Hebrew who failed to observe this rite would be cut off from the covenant community. Circumcision was to serve as an outward sign of inward dedication to God. In itself it (circumcision) was neither efficacious, nor unique to Israel.’ 
 
Now Friends, that wasn’t all that God laid on Abraham that day nuh: ‘And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah (Princess) shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of (by) her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. 
 
Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
 
And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
 
And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time next year. And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.’ (Gen.17:15-22)
 
Oh my brethren, can you imagine your reaction to God laying all of that on you at one time? Mama Mia! But such was the strength and faithfulness of Abraham, that although he laughed and doubted in his heart that Sarah would eventually produce a son, nevertheless after the Lord left him, he took all the males in his household, including Isaac and himself, and they were circumcised according to the sign which God, declared would be the sealing of the covenant. That’s surely indicates great faith and trust.
 
Anyway Friends, enough for today. Let’s read, mark, ponder and inwardly digest what we’ve read and heard, because it’s important that we know where and how our faith came about.
 
Much LOVE!…if we don’t know where we’re coming from…where our roots lie…then how can we know where we’re going…what kind of fruit we shall bear…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 November 2013 Genesis 15:18

16 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 Genesis 15:18.     In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed, (descendants) have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates. 
 
Oh Friends, once more we’ve opened our bleary eyes to greet another God-given day! And all God’s people gratefully declared: ‘Praise the Lord! Give Him endless thanks for His goodness to the undeserving children of men!’
 
Yes my people, we do need to praise and give thanks to our wonderful God for His unending grace, which we certainly don’t deserve. But like we have a special place in our hearts for our children, the same way the Deity that created us has a special fondness for us. He LOVES us so much that He can’t help but lavish LOVE on us. (smile)  
 
Now I never intended to stay this long on God’s promises to Abram, but everyday I see more stuff, and since Abram is considered the founding father of our faith, of Jehovah God’s people, I believe we should look at his life and His relationship with the Almighty in some detail, so that we can get a fuller understanding of how our great God works, of how the promises He made, have led to the world we know today.  
 
And today in our Bit, we have yet another promise God made to Abram. ‘In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed, (descendants) have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.’
 
What’s interesting Friends, is that in every instance the Lord assures Abram that he will have an abundance of descendants, who will inherit a vast tract of land, from the river Nile to the Euphrates. The problem though is some ten years have passed since God first promised Abram a multitude of descendants, but nothing has so far happened to fulfill it.
 
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife is seventy something, way past normal childbearing age, so she takes it upon herself to play God. She has an Egyptian maid by the name of Hagar: ‘And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.’ (Gen.16:2-3)
 
And foolishly, like many other men over the years, Abram listened to her and knew Hagar, her Egyptian maid. But Friends, as it so often happens, our impatience comes back to haunt us in ways we never considered before making the original decisions. 
 
The Good Book puts it this way: ‘And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes (sight). And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong (the wrong done to me) be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee (as you please). And when Sarai dealt hardly (harshly) with her, she fled from her face (presence).’ (Gen.16:4-6)
 
Ah mih breddren, Hagar must have preened and pranced around the household when she discovered she was pregnant with Abram’s first born and legal heir, considering the endless possibilities of wealth and power that would accrue to her and her son. What amazes and amuses me though is Sarai getting on Abram’s case because Hagar despised her for her barrenness. Wasn’t it she who came up with the idea in the first place?
 
Abram was simply foolish to listen to her. There his faith in God must have wilted somewhat. But you can’t blame him too much, when you’ve been promised a child for ten years, and you’re already eighty-five years old.
 
But right there and then the whole anger, bitterness, resentment, hatred, strife and warfare began, because one woman took it upon herself to play God, then another allowed foolish pride to warp her thinking. And as usual too, in between was a clueless man. (smile) And sadly, nothing much has changed to this day. Ah Lord eh!
 
So Hagar runs away from Sarai’s harsh treatment into the wilderness, where an angel of the Lord finds her sitting beside a well. ‘And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under hands…
 
I will multiply thy seed (descendants) exceedingly, that it should not be numbered for multitude… Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael (God hears); because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.’ (Gen.16:8-12)
 
Please note Friends, that God saw Hagar’s affliction and relieved her anxiety by promising that her son would be a father of many, though he would be wild and rash and have problems with mankind in general.
 
‘And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore and six (86) years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.’ (Gen.16:15-16)
 
Ah mih people, yuh see how our thoughtless actions can cause endless problems, even down through the ages. Sarai couldn’t wait on the Lord’s promise, possibly her faith had not reached the level necessary to keep on waiting regardless of the fact that she was old and nothing was happening. And poor Abram, although his faith seemed exceedingly strong, like Adam in the Garden of Eden, he succumbed to a woman’s arguments and made a fatal error in judgement, which has plagued the world since then, even to this day.
 
So though it’s oftimes difficult to wait on God’s promises, as true believers, we need to learn that godly patience which comes with strong belief and great faith. We cannot afford to let the lusts of the flesh drive us to do stuff outside of God’s will. When we think we’re speeding up God’s will, we’re usually just creating more problems. God doesn’t need our help to fulfill His promises. Remember He’s omnipotent.
 
So today, let’s exhort ourselves to listen, believe and wait patiently. For then we endear ourselves to God in true wisdom, and cause ourselves less problems. Much LOVE!
 
…but if we hope for that we see not…then do we with patience (perseverance)…(eagerly) wait for it… (Rom.8:25)