March 21
/21 // Hebrews 11:8-12 / Read; Genesis 21:1-7 / Read
By the time Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 21, it had been 25 years since God first asked them to go to an unknown land that would become their home and promised them a family that would someday grow into a great nation.
We have read about the many ups and downs and challenges to their trust in God during that time. What’s more, we must read between the lines of the text to recognize that Sarah went through pregnancy at the age of 90. This is no small task for any woman, let alone one of her age living in the ancient world.
What must it have been like for her to hold her healthy newborn son for the first time? What are all of things that she must have been thinking and feeling?
One way of defining a miracle is something that can only be explained by the presence and power of God. Or, said in reverse, a miracle is something that can’t be explained on human terms.
What miracle has God done in your life? What goodness has come to you that can’t be explained away by your decisions, influence and effort?
One of the things this passage reveals to us is that believing God and living by faith is not something that can be done apart from God’s grace.
Grace is undeserved favor. Abraham and Sarah had been faithful to the Lord in some ways, but they had faltered in others. It’s clear that the fulfillment of his promises weren’t based on their perfect performance - rather, they were good gifts given as a father does to the children he loves.
How are you relying on your own strength and skill to carry out the things God has asked you to do? Where are you believing that the fulfillment of his promises to you are based on how well you perform? What will it look like for you to rely on his grace today as you take your next step of faith?