The fulfilment of God’s promises gives us comfort and certainty.
Genesis 21
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7 And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”
14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.
15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob.
17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”
19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.
It can be difficult to trust at times. It can be difficult to trust friends or family – especially when they have messed up in the past and done things that break the trust between you. But God has always kept his promises. He has never faulted and he is constantly loving and coming back to us, even when we have broken our side of the agreement. It should be easy for us to trust God. But we do not naturally trust God so easily, because it goes against our sinful nature.
In this story there is a distinct emphasis on the aspect of fulfilment. There are four particular points that show this…”as he had said” (v1), “as he had promised” (v1), “at the appointed time” (v2) and “which God had spoken” (v2). This event comes without surprise because it happened as God promised it would.
Therefore, we should have certainty that what God has promised, he will accomplish. This gives us great assurance as people in God’s story and thus as recipients of God’s promises. God promises eternal life to those who put their trust in his Son. His Son, who was the fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God’s blessings continue to come into the lives of his people. God keeping his promises shows that he will crush sin’s power and make everything good again. Because of Jesus, we are heirs with him, to receive the Kingdom of God, yet another promise that we can be assured that God will keep. There is joy in knowing that what God promises, he does.
Head: How does knowing that God fulfils his promises, help us to trust him?
Heart: What areas of your life do you find hard to trust God with?
Hands: How will you respond to the knowledge that God never breaks his promises?
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you that you always keep your promises. Thank you that even though we have done nothing to deserve it, you give us assurance that one day we will live in eternity in your Kingdom. Help us to trust you and live for you in everything that we do. Amen.
A song to listen to: All Creatures of Our God and King Caitlin Jenner – Living Church Creek Road
This Grow Daily was originally posted as part of the Bible in 10 series in 2017. During the School Holidays we take the opportunity to look back at the best of Grow Dailys over the years.
