Another New Name

08/11/2006

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Another New Name

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Genesis 17:15-17

            Message of the verse:  “15 Then God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.  16 ‘I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’  17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, ‘Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’”

            In this section God changes the name of Sarai to Sarah, and it is unclear what the meaning of Sarai is, but Sarah means “princess,” and indeed Sara was a princess for she became the mother of Kings and is in the bloodline of the Lord Jesus Christ being the mother of Isaac. 

            The role of Sarah in the Scriptures is a very big one, and her example of being a wife and a mother can be looked at as a very great role model, and Peter speaks of it in his writings.  (1Peter 3:1-6)

            The role of motherhood and being a parent is a very important one in the Scriptures and it is a shame that it is not looked upon as being important in today’s society, for many times children are a burden to the parents and far to many times the womb is turned into a graveyard today which saddens the heart of God and as a nation we will one day pay for those many sins.  Psalm 139:13-18 gives a wonderful picture of the importance of the womb:  “13  For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.  14  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.  15  My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;  16  Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.

17 ¶  How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!  18  If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.”

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  There are times when I think back on when we took into our own hands as husband and wife the decision of not having any more children, and under the circumstances humanly speaking, it was a correct decision, yet could it have been that our faith was not strong enough at the time, and I am sure that selfishness came in on my part.  Selfishness is a sin that I commit far to many times.

The Word of God has brought conviction to my heart as I read it and studied it this morning.

My Steps of Faith Today:  Trust the Lord to take away my selfishness today, and throughout the rest of my life, and trust the Lord to teach me contentment and to direct my path each day.