Daily Bible Reading Devotional – July 2nd, 2016

Scripture Reading(s)

Genesis 18:1-10a

18:1 The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day.

18:2 He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground.

18:3 He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant.

18:4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

18:5 Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on–since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”

18:6 And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.”

18:7 Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it.

18:8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

18:9 They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.”

18:10a Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.”

Reflections

Two chapters previous to this God has promised Abraham and Sarah that they would be able to have children and be a part of creating a nation that would be God’s chosen people. Years had long passed since God had given them this promise. Now both  Abraham and more specifically Sarah, were passed the biological time line in which a woman was able to physically have children.

The promise that God made with Abraham, to provide him with offspring, had possibly long been abandoned at this stage in Abraham and Sarah’s life. The distance between God’s promise and the events of this day were many years. Surely, Abraham would have assumed he was dilutional or perhaps that God had abandoned him. However, his behavior in this story is not typical behavior we would expect for a man in his situation. He does not appear to be agitated with God or even upset. Is it possible that he still believed that God would follow through on His promise? We might never know until we get to meet and ask him n heaven.

How long have we waited for God to show up in our lives? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? We must never grow so impatient with God and think that He should work on our own timeline. From Abraham’s perspective he and his wife were too old for children. From God’s perspective he was just right; well seasoned and primed. Likewise, God knows the times and the seasons of our lives. He knows when and what to provide us with. God is never late and He is never early. Have faith that God is working things out for you and be patient knowing that God has your best interest in mind and that He loves you.