Abraham and Sarah. They are a team. They are God's team. It it to them that God's promise of an heir will be fulfilled. You can understand why they were a little unsure of this promise. They were two very old people. Sarah had never borne a child. They wanted to believe, but the years were still slipping away and no baby.
So they tried to 'help' God along; Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham as a wife and a son Ishmael was born. But the promise was for Abraham and Sarah, not Abraham and just anybody.
So the covenant, the promise, is reiterated and marked with a divine name change. Abram would now be Abraham (father of many nations) and Sarai would now be Sarah and they would have a son.
For people of faith, life is a series of discernments. Do I hold onto the promise I understood God to make? Did I get the details wrong? Have I substituted my own voice for God's voice? Do I 'help' the process along or just sit back and wait?
There is neither one answer nor an easy answer. There are only questions, and prayers ascending in the night. Abraham and Sarah believed, but it wasn't an easy road to walk, and I expect there were many days when they thought they were crazy. Yet, in due time, Isaac (laughter) was born and Abraham became the father of many nations.
What concerns do our prayers carry to God? Are we able to wait upon the Lord, to trust in the darkness, and to accept that God continues to act even when we see no movement, no change? Who said it was easy to be a person of faith in the first place? Certainly not I.
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